For You, My Love
by akhilaandthebee
Summary: Klaus and Caroline's relationship is far from easy. They've just established a friendship, both of them still learning so much about each other. Nothing is ever black and white when it comes to Klaroline. This is how I'd write the Klaroline moments starting with 4x19 while staying true to the original plot. It's the story of Caroline falling in love with Klaus :)
1. Chapter 1

**For you, my love. This is my first fanfic! I am a huge Klaroline shipper and love reading all the fics out there! I got inspired to start my own :) I've always wanted to read a fanfic where it stuck true to the main plot but really developed Klaroline's relationship, realistically. I hope I can do that! Read and review please!**

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Caroline was getting ready for the night she had been waiting for for what seems like forever. With everything that had been going on lately, prom seemed so surreal. After planning the prom almost singlehandedly, she was ready for everyone to have a good time. There was just one rainy cloud dancing over her parade: she didn't have a date. Since Klaus ran Tyler out of town, he stopped answering her phone calls. She missed having someone to talk to, someone to be there for her when everyone else was focused on Elena, or the cure, or whatever new problem showed up that day. She missed having someone around who cared.

God, she really hated Klaus sometimes. Okay she didn't hate him, but she sure as hell hated the way he made her feel. He was so confusing around Caroline! He was so honest, and so vulnerable around her. He let her in, allowed her to see his pain and charmed her with his romantic notions. But then he was also the thousand year old deranged, ruthless killer who took away Tyler, his mother, Jenna. A man who wasn't afraid to end a life to get what he wanted. How could someone capable of doing all those terrible things love Caroline? And expect her to magically fall in love with him and forget about her life and her friends and her values. She wasn't evil, she didn't enjoy killing people, or watching others suffer when they didn't deserve to.

UGH. She was searching her closet now for a good five minutes and her dress was no where to be found. She had placed it carefully in a clear dress bag at the end of her closet, and it wasn't there. Prom was starting in one hour and Caroline suddenly realized that she didn't have a dress. She freaked out, pacing back in forth in her room. Where could it have gone? But then she remembered Elena earlier that morning, _Pretty dress Caroline!_

And then she knew, the bitch stole her dress. At this point, Caroline didn't even want to go to prom, she wanted to stay in her sweatpants and a tank top and watch Food Network all night long. This emotionless Elena was heartless, cruel, and a plain bitch. She was honestly worse than Klaus at the moment, if that was even possible.

Klaus! Before she had time to process what she was saying, she was out the door, zooming to the Mikaelson Mansion.

She stopped suddenly on his porch, and rang the doorbell before she could stop herself. The door opened and Caroline was greeted with a genuine welcome from the hybrid himself.

"Caroline, what brings you to my humble abode?" he greeted her.

She smirked, "It really is a very humble abode." Klaus smiled and gestured for her to come in. Making their way into the living room, Caroline noticed Klaus's sketchpad on the sofa by the crackling fireplace. She was about to pick up the book when Klaus snatched it away before she could see the hidden mysteries that went on in the mind of the big bad alpha.

"You're not supposed to see those," he said nervously. Tossing the book to the other side of the room. He faced Caroline, who stood there with her eyebrows arched high, curious as to what he was so squeamish about.

"Why won't you let me see them?" she asked curiously. He'd always allowed her to see his art, in fact he often flaunted it at her.

"Never mind the drawings, what is it that brings you here this evening?" He stood quite close to her, a sultry gaze towards her. Caroline completely forgot about the sketchpad and even why she'd come to Klaus in the first place.

"Uh," she stuttered as she was caught in his gaze. He stared back, slowly raising one of his brows waiting for her to respond. She snapped out of her little trance and got the point.

"I need you to compel Elena," Caroline bluntly stated. Klaus stared back at her, utterly confused as to why his sweet Caroline would want to compel her best friend to do anything.

"Compel her to do what exactly?"

"Compel her to turn on her humanity. I can't stand the person she's becoming, and I know that if her humanity was on, she'd regret everything she's been doing lately," she blurted out. She stopped herself quickly before revealing too much. She didn't want to tell Klaus that Elena almost killed her, because she honestly wasn't sure how he'd react. But unfortunately, Klaus could read Caroline like an open book. He sensed that there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Caroline, what are you not telling me? What did she do to you?" He asked demandingly, growing more impatient as she refused to answer him. She avoided his stare, trying to think of something to say. Then it hit her. She looked at him and simply said, "She stole my prom dress."

Klaus studied Caroline for what seemed like forever. She tried not to fidget and look like she was keeping something from him. He didn't buy it, but decided to let it go for now.

"I believe that your senior prom is tonight, am I correct?" he clarified.

"In about an hour, yeah," suddenly freaking out that she didn't have a dress and that she couldn't not go to the stupid dance. She was Caroline Forbes, former Miss Mystic Falls, captain of the cheer squad, the girl who lived for these nights. And now she didn't even want to go.

She found herself confessing, "I don't even want to go at this point. All I want to curl up with a nice cup of B positive, and watch Hell's Kitchen and forget about the nightmare that is my life."

Klaus smiled as she vented to him, he was happy that she felt comfortable confiding in him. She was adorable when she was upset. Her lovely blond waves bouncing up and down, her big blue eyes gleaming with love and light.

"Now if there is one thing I know about you, Caroline Forbes, it is that you love a good party. You love to dress up, and you love to dance, " he stepped closer to her, Caroline trying to stay on her two feet. "I think tonight may surprise you in ways you wouldn't expect," and he was suddenly reminded of the surprise he had waiting for Caroline at her prom. He felt his heart drop to his stomach, knowing that after tonight, she may never come by anymore on these sudden occasions. She'd be with _him_. He pushed the thought aside as Caroline caught on to the change in Klaus's attitude.

She tilted her head and was about to ask what was wrong when he suddenly said, "Rebekah is upstairs getting ready for tonight and I swear she's bought more dresses than she'll ever wear. I'm sure she'd love to help you Caroline."

He gestured towards the spiraling staircase, and she just looked at him with the most sincere smile.

"Thank you," was all she said. But to him, it meant the world. It had become their subtle way of conveying all their feelings towards one another. Two words, but so much more between the lines.

Caroline went upstairs, and found Rebekah growling with frustration. She still hadn't picked a dress she'd liked. Klaus wasn't lying; there were dresses and gowns everywhere. On the bed, on the floor, draped over the chairs and couches. She spotted a lovely strapless golden-yellow colored dress. Caroline cleared her throat, as she walked towards the gown, "This dress would look great on you." Rebekah turned around quickly to find Caroline in her room holding up a dress she hadn't tried on yet. She raised her brow, but before she could say anything, Caroline continued, "It would bring out your tan."

Rebekah stared at Caroline, unsure if she should be trusted. Caroline walked over to Rebekah, held up the dress, and smiled. Rebekah wasn't sure why Caroline was being so nice, but she took the dress from her hand and took it to the mirror. She placed it over the dress she was wearing now and imagined herself in it. She did like the beading at the top, and Caroline was right about it bringing out her tan. "Thanks," Rebekah said.

Caroline smiled back, as she toured Rebekah's elaborate room eyeing some of the beautiful gowns.

"Why aren't you getting ready for tonight? Didn't you like plan it or something?" Rebekah finally asked.

"Yeah, or something. I don't know, I guess I'm just not feeling it tonight," she said honestly.

"Afraid you're not going to get crowned prom queen?" Rebekah said jokingly.

"Honestly, I could care less about being prom queen. It doesn't mean anything if you don't have anyone to share it with," she sat down on the bed and began to bring some order to the chaos that was Dolce and Gabbana and Christian Dior.

"Caroline, I of all people, who have absolutely no one in my life that I can depend on or anyone to share anything with, am going to this stupid dance tonight. If I am going, you sure as hell are too," Rebekah revealed whole heartedly, attempting to cheer Caroline up.

Caroline smiled softly, "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Elena stole my dress. Bitch."

Rebekah laughed aloud, gesturing with her arm wide at the array of dresses for her to choose, "Take your pick."

After what seemed like hours, Caroline finally chose a very vintage looking dress. It wasn't a typical prom dress, but it was very Caroline. Rebekah said it was hers in the 1920s. Caroline was absolutely in love with it, and when she tried it on, it fit perfectly. After thanking her lucky stars that she and Rebekah were the same dress and shoe size, she was starting to feel a little bit more in the prom mood.

Once Rebekah and Caroline were dressed and ready to go, they made their way to the staircase and began to descend the spiral. Klaus heard them laughing, and the sounds soothed him. It was nice to know that his sister and Caroline were getting along.

Klaus saw her instantly. Her pearl white gown perfectly accentuated her godly curves. Long skinny arms, gracefully swayed by her side. Blonde hair neatly pinned back to the side, with still a few pieces falling out. He was once again awestruck by her genuine beauty, the never ending light that illuminated within her. He wanted so desperately to have her in that moment, to caller her his and never let her go.

Caroline was turned towards Rebekah giggling about some joke when she reached the bottom of the steps. Rebekah cleared her throat, "Nik you've got a bit of drool on your mouth."

Caroline turned towards Klaus to see him staring at her like he'd seen God. Klaus snapped out of his little trance and gave his sister a very sarcastic smile.

Caroline smiled at him and said, "Not bad for something last minute, huh?"

"Love, your last minute beats Rebekah's all day of preparation," he said teasingly.

Rebekah grimaced at her brother, walking off somewhere, anywhere to be rid of his brotherly annoyance.

"And Rebekah," he said towards her before she disappeared, "I really do hope you enjoy yourself tonight baby sister." She smiled at him as she rolled her eyes.

"See you later, Nik."

Caroline and Klaus stood awkwardly for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, yet again. She cleared her throat and began, "Well, I should probably get going before it ends."

Klaus walked over to the small table next to the base of the stairs and picked up a very familiar black box. He opened the case and revealed the infamous diamond bracelet he'd once given to her for her birthday, what seemed like ages ago. Caroline opened her mouth to say something but had no idea what to say. She just looked at him with the most sincere smile, hoping he wouldn't notice her blush. He smiled to one side, his dimples deep as buckets. He removed the bracelet from its container and shoved the box in his back pocket. He reached for her bare hand as he stepped closer to her as he put on the bracelet. There was something comforting, but also electrifying, about the touch of his rough, strong hands against her soft wrists. As he was putting the bracelet on, Caroline watched his gentle movements, his compassionate gaze in those beautiful blue-green eyes of his. When he was done, he held her arm and looked up at her radiating face.

"Enjoy tonight, Caroline. You are beautiful, strong, and the most deserving. Remember that always and forever," Klaus finally spoke. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to her, for he knew this would be the last genuine moment between them. _He _would return to her life, and Klaus hated that. But he knew she would never truly be content with their blossoming friendship if he'd continued to be so stubborn. All he wanted was her happiness, to see her smile, to know she was safe. He'd decided that would be enough for now.

"Thank you, for everything," she said as she broke away from his comforting hold. She found Rebekah and the two of them headed for the door. Caroline turned around one last time to wave Klaus goodbye. He stood by the door, his smile never leaving his perfect face, as he returned her goodbye.

When the door shut, Klaus stood in place for a moment, thinking only one thing:

_You are most welcome, my love._

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**There we have it, my first chapter! Please review, feedback would mean the world! I have some ideas of how to make Klaroline's relationship progress, them learning to trust each other and really open up. They'll be spending a lot more time together in my world :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Ohmygod I'm so humbled by all of your responses, follows, and favorites! I knew this chapter was going to be the hardest for me to write because I had to include Forwood in it in order to stick with the plot. ****There's a reason he's in this chapter :)** Here's chapter 2!

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Caroline had arrived at the dance by 11:15, having already missed more than half of it. _Whatever though, at least everything looks great. People seem to be having fun. _She searched the dance floor to find a recognizable face, eventually spotting Elena. Caroline straightened her posture walked with her head held high towards her troubling friend.

Elena was speechless as Caroline approached her, looking stunning in such a little amount of time. Elena sarcastically said, "Wow Care, someone's setting a new record for being fashionably late! I'm guessing you had some complications."

Caroline replied, "I'm actually glad you stole my dress. I like this one way better!" She twirled around, proud and confident with her appearance compared to Elena's.

"Huh, well something tells me you won't be wearing it much longer, Care!" Elena retorted before she walked away to cause whatever havoc she had in store. Caroline growled quietly, growing more annoyed by the mere sight of Elena.

Someone came and stood by Caroline, and she turned to find an irritated Damon Salvatore. He looked at Caroline and sighed, "Katherine 2.0 is stressing me out." Taking a big sip out of the flask he brought, he offered some to Caroline after. "Like I think I'm actually growing a gray hair!"

Caroline shook her head at the offer, and laughed at the irony, "Well she's your girlfriend, and you were the one who told her to turn it all off. Why don't you go fix that oh so master plan of yours, huh?"

Damon sneered at her before walking away, continuously drinking from his handy little flask. Caroline tilted her head to the side, disappointed at what her life had turned into. A year ago, she didn't expect any of this to happen: her being a vampire, so many loved ones dead, feeling so empty. She turned towards the nearest table, but before she sat down, she heard a familiar voice.

"Care?" was all he said.

She turned around to find Tyler dressed in a black tuxedo, offering his hand to dance with his girlfriend. Caroline was baffled. For a second she thought she'd daydreamed or was just imagining things. She ignored his extended hand and put her hands on the sides of his face. His touch was real, Tyler was real. He smiled at her as he began to kiss her passionately. Caroline immediately broke away from the kiss.

"Tyler, what are you doing here! Klaus…" she trailed off.

"He let me come back. He called me a couple days ago and said he changed his mind about wanting to kill me," he reassured her.

"Seriously?!" Caroline was shocked that Klaus would do something like that. He'd made it his life's mission to hunt Tyler down and make his life miserable. He meant it when he said the other day that he wasn't exactly searching for Tyler. Klaus was really trying to change, he actually did something decent. Maybe there was something redeeming in him.

"Care…you still there?" Tyler asked as he shook her shoulders. She snapped out of her little dilemma and focused on Tyler.

"Yeah, I'm just shocked but so happy to see you!"

"Join me for a dance?" She took his extended hand as he led her to the dance floor. They'd danced through five fast songs, laughing and just enjoying their reunion. A slow song came on, and Tyler and Caroline filled the open space in between them. She put her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her tiny waist. They just danced silently, relishing each other's company.

Towards the end of the song, Caroline broke the silence, "So you're really back. We can be together again." She'd really missed the comfort of knowing someone would always be there for her. She looked up at him waiting for a response.

"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Walk with me?" He said suspiciously. Caroline furrowed her brows, what did he want to tell her that was so urgent? She took his hand as he led the way through the crowded dance floor and out the front door. They made their way to and empty bench somewhere away from the venue. Caroline began to feel very nervous, this couldn't be good news. She waited quietly for him to say something, anything.

"So… When Klaus sent me away, I was completely lost. Literally and emotionally. I'd spent nights on end moving from town to town, trying to get as far away from that jackass as I could. I eventually made it down to Miami. I found a pack there, Care. A bunch of teenagers and 20 somethings, just trying to get by and deal with the transformations. None of them know much about all the supernatural stuff. They really need me."

Caroline arched her brows, "They need you?"

"Yeah, none of them know how to control it or what to do. I love Mystic Falls, I really do. But this place stopped being home when I lost everything, my dad, my mom, Vicki, all of our friends and family. My life has been a constant struggle ever since Klaus came here. I can't live in a place where I don't feel safe and I don't feel at home."

"So you're leaving, for good?" Caroline whispered, trying to hold back the tears that were falling slowly.

"Yeah, I'm leaving for good. But I want you to come with me this time."

Caroline looked at him, confused by his proposal, "To Miami? Tyler I can't, my life is here in Mystic Falls, where it's always been. What about graduation? And my mom, and our friends, they need us here Tyler."

"No they don't. Half the time, they make decisions without even telling us. They put our lives in danger for god knows what. I don't care about graduating or school anymore Caroline. And you didn't used to either. What happened to running away together? It was our plan when the Council found out about us!" Tyler was getting angry. He was sure she'd say yes, that they'd leave this godforsaken joke of a town and live their lives together, away from all of this drama.

"Things changed. I thought you died, and then you didn't. And Elena became a vampire, and the council got blown up. And the Hunters came into town, and Silas and the search for the cure. We can't just run away from our lives because it's hard, Tyler!" Caroline stood up from the bench and put her hands to her forehead. Her bracelet caught the light of the moon, as well as the attention from Tyler. He took her hand and his expression became unreadable. His mouth pressed shut in a tight line, his eyes hard as stone.

"I thought you gave this back to him," he finally said to very guilty looking Caroline.

"I… Elena stole my dress so he helped me find another one and he gave it back," she started, but Tyler had already had enough, "It's not a big deal Tyler."

"Caroline, it really is. You know how much I hate the guy," he looked betrayed.

"Yeah but he's trying to change. He's letting you come back. He wants to be friends." She couldn't understand why she was defending Klaus of all people, against Tyler!

"Wow Caroline, you're really defending him? After everything he's done!"

"I am not defending him. I'm trying to understand him. Just like I did with you back when you were a jackass too! What he did to you and to all of us is wrong, and it is not okay. But he's saved my life 4 times, when he didn't have to. He saved yours, by letting you come back. He didn't have to do that. Tyler, Mystic Falls can be your home again. If you let it!"

"Caroline, I can't do this anymore. I love you, but I can't be with someone who can remotely stand Klaus much less like the guy. I'm leaving this place for good. And I guess I'm leaving you behind, too." He said decisively, as he kissed her forehead before he left.

"Tyler…don't. It doesn't have to be this way!" Caroline was crying now. Once again, someone she loved was leaving her for something else more important.

"Yeah, it does. Take care of yourself Caroline, I guess now we can both really move on," Tyler was tearing up now, too. "I'll miss you." And just like that, he was gone.

Caroline stood there in the warm spring breeze, alone. She didn't want to believe what just happened. She refused to believe that they'd broken up and that he was gone for good. But after a few minutes, reality started sink in. Caroline was outside, never having felt so alone and empty. She began to walk aimlessly, not really thinking about anything much less where she was going. She just stared out into space, trying to forget anything and everything.

Caroline found herself at the front door of her house. She opened the door to find an empty house. Of course, her mother was working tonight. Making her way to her room, she began to remove all the bobby pins in her hair. Then, she took off her dress and neatly laid it on her bed. She found her favorite pair of sweatpants and a tank top and changed into them. When she was finally comfortable, she found herself sitting on the side of her bed with her hands wedged between her knees. She probably sat there for hours, staring off somewhere, anywhere. Caroline found herself questioning her emotions. She grew more aware of that switch each minute. She could turn it all off, not care about the hell she's had to go through these past two years. She could be the person who didn't give a damn about anything. She could forget about school and graduation, her friends, her life. She could travel the world, visit all the places Klaus has told her so much about. She would be free from this suffocating lifeless existence of hers. She would be happy.

But then Caroline thought of Elena and the person she's become after choosing that route. She was a monster, a soulless, murderous bitch. Caroline didn't like that person and she didn't want to become that. She knew that with her neurotic bitchiness, she would probably be worse than Elena. That's the Catch-22: an escape from her unhappiness, only to find that option all the more troubling. In that moment, she wiped away her tears and stood up. She couldn't be this person anymore, this person who stood quietly by. This person who covered up her pain and masked it from the world. In the end, all that got her was more pain. She decided that she needed to stand up for herself, she needed to take care of herself. She was tired of being the bait, of being the person people just assumed would do something.

Caroline walked over to her bathroom and washed away her smudged makeup. Fresh and clean, she found a hoodie that read _Timberwolves _on the front, and put it on. Picking up her car keys and Rebekah's dress and shoes, Caroline headed out the door.

She arrived at the Mikaelson mansion for the second time that day. She didn't know why she felt so comfortable around him, why she found herself wanting to talk to him. Caroline knocked on the door, dress and shoes in hand. It was a valid excuse, to be here at such an ungodly hour. She didn't even know what time it was. The door opened and Klaus stood there wide eyed and speechless. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt that was stained with different colors. He'd been painting, Caroline presumed.

"Caroline…" Klaus trailed off. He thought that she would be with Tyler tonight, doing god knows what. Why was she here? Not that he didn't enjoy her company, but what had brought her here and away from _him_.

"I came to return Rebekah's dress," was all Caroline said. Klaus took that as a hint. He gestured for her to come inside, taking the dress bag from her hands and placing it over the sofa. Klaus noticed Caroline's puffed eyes, her blank stare. Something happened and he desperately wanted to know what it was. She looked so vulnerable, so tender, but still as ravishing as ever. Even wearing sweats and a hoodie, with no makeup on, she was a true natural beauty. But there was something that was missing, it was his favorite part. There wasn't that light in her eyes, that confidence and strength he admired so much. She was broken, and he was determined to fix her.

Did Tyler not show? Was the brutus unable to comprehend his clear instructions? He sat next to her, tilting his head to meet her beautiful blue eyes, "Caroline, please tell me Tyler showed up."

Caroline nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, he did," a tear began to from at the corner of her eye, "but he's gone now, for good." Once she said the words aloud, it really hit her. Tyler was gone. And it wasn't because of Klaus or anyone else, but because of his own decision. That's why it hurt all the more. The tears began to fall now, faster. As soon as he saw them swell, he wiped them away with his thumbs.

"Klaus?" Caroline began.

"What is it love?" he answered concernedly.

"I really need a friend right now," she said through her falling tears. In that moment, Klaus took Caroline in his arms and held her close. She cried in his loving embrace, feeling safe once again. He stroked her golden hair and held her tightly.

"Always," he whispered.

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**There you have it, the second chapter. After this, Klaroline's relationship is really gonna start to develop! I just needed there to be a clean break with Tyler in order for Klaroline to happen the right way. And now, it can :) I love reviews! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for being so awesome guys. Your reviews, favorites, and follows have blown me away! I decided that instead of making each chapter an episode, that I'd take my time in developing the story. Enjoy chapter 3! **

_Playlist: Honest Songs by Noah Gundersen, Garden by Noah Gundersen, Beautiful Girl by William Fitzsimmons_

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His face was buried in her golden hair, holding her closely as she wept in his arms. About two hours had passed since Caroline's arrival at the Mikaelson mansion, and only now were her tears beginning to falter. _Tyler really meant something to her. _Klaus thought to himself. As much as he loved the fact that she was in his arms at the moment, Klaus hated that she was upset. She was always the one to have something clever to say, always the one to walk with her head held high. He found himself a bit deflated at the sight of her unhappiness.

Caroline hadn't realized how long she'd been crying for. After sometime, she even forgot why she was so upset. It wasn't even truly about Tyler's departure at this point, it was everything else going on in her life. It was all the people in her life who had abandoned her, expected her to be fine and to not need anyone. She shifted slowly from the embrace Klaus held her in, eventually breaking it all together. Wiping her eyes and running her hands through her hair, she closed her eyes for a couple seconds.

Klaus wasn't sure what to say, so he sat on the couch next to her, watching silently. There was something bothering her, and it wasn't just Tyler. He'd caught on to at least that much. He wanted to ask her what it was, but didn't want to push her away. Just then, she broke the silence.

"Sorry," she whispered. She shook her head, what had gotten into her? She was better than this. She stood up off the couch and stretched her legs.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, love," Klaus reassured her as he got up as well.

"Thanks," she looked up at him, "seriously."

He smiled softly to one side like he always did around Caroline, and nodded his head. Taking his appearance into account, Caroline became aware of his paint stained white t-shirt. Her eyebrows arched with curiosity. She searched the grand living room for the source of all the color and found his easel propped up by the fireplace. A small canvas rest upon it, with different colored paints and brushes shelved in their holders. Caroline walked towards the painting and smiled. She instantly admired the beauty of its symbolism. It was a beautiful teal blue sky with faint hazy clouds in the background. Three black birds with their wings stretched far apart flew from three different directions, all flying towards the same destination. Caroline knew immediately that these birds represented his family: Elijah, Rebekah, and himself.

"This is beautiful, Klaus," Caroline said over her shoulder, "It's you, Elijah, and Rebekah, right?"

Klaus was so humbled by the fact that Caroline was able to recognize his art not as something boring and trivial but as something genuinely symbolic. He nodded as he stood next to her, "Yes, it is."

"No matter what you guys have been through in the thousand years you've been alive, you guys always find a way back to each other," she admiringly said. It was a reassuring thing, family. No matter how much life screwed you over, nothing could break that bond. You could go a hundred years without them, but in the end when all is said and done, there is no one you'd rather share your new stories and adventures with.

"It surely hasn't been an easy journey," he said teasingly. He loved his family, and whatever he did was for their best interests. He found himself confessing, "I understand that my methods of handling certain situations with my siblings are to be questioned, but you must know that it was all out of love."

Caroline looked at him in awe, for she knew he was being honest. She tried to lighten the mood, "Well as long as you learn from your mistakes and don't dagger Elijah and Rebekah again, I think you're good."

He laughed a little, thinking only Caroline could find a clever way to lighten up the mood while being sincerely honest. Klaus added, "It's not finished yet though."

"But that's the beauty of it! Your story isn't over yet, it's perfect this way," she suggested.

"You think?" He considered her suggestion. He and his siblings were immortal. They hopefully still had an infinite amount of time together. He agreed with her, "I think you're right." He picked up the canvas and smiled in content. This painting would be one of his favorites, for it held a special place for the three most important people in his life: Elijah, Rebekah, and now Caroline.

Klaus's phone began to vibrate in his pocket, so Caroline took the painting from his hands as he dug into his pockets in search of the incessant device. Looking at the caller ID, Klaus didn't recognize the number, "Hello?"

"Klaus, it's been a long time," said the voice on the other end of the line.

Klaus new immediately who the speaker was: Marcel, his long lost protégée down in New Orleans. He took a deep breath and answered, "Marcel, it surely has been a while."

"I think it's time you come to New Orleans for a visit, there's a situation arising, and I'm guessing you won't be too happy about it," Marcel said.

"What situation are we talking about now," Klaus grew curious. The last time he'd been in New Orleans had been sometime in the early 20th century.

"A few friends think it's time to change the rules around here. They heard about your little stunt with the hybrids in Mystic Falls. Let's just say that they aren't too happy about it."

Klaus lifted his head, "And how did that news spread so fast?"

"Small town, people talk I guess," Marcel replied.

"I'll be there soon," was all Klaus said before he ended the call.

Caroline had heard the entire conversation thanks to her superhuman vampire hearing. She was curious as to why Klaus was so concerned about the people in New Orleans. Wasn't he the big bad hybrid who couldn't be killed? Just before she could ask him what happened, Elijah and Rebekah walked into the living room with the same concerned looks Klaus held on his face.

"Niklaus," Elijah walked up to his younger brother a bit shocked to find the girl he fancied right next to him, "Caroline."

"Elijah, it's been a while," Caroline greeted him warmly. He returned her welcome, gently nodding his head in her direction.

"Elijah, Rebekah," Klaus acknowledged before starting, "impeccable timing. Marcel has just called me requesting our impending visit to New Orleans."

Rebekah asked, "What? Why would we need to go back to there?"

"Apparently they've heard of my…involvement with the hybrid slaughter," Klaus admitted.

"They meaning Sophie?" Elijah clarified.

Klaus ducked his head with guilt, and Elijah took that as a hint, "Very well then, I guess we'll be taking a trip down to the old French Quarter. We should leave as soon as possible." The siblings began to discuss travel arrangements and theories and plans to win over Sophie and her people.

Caroline was confused as to why this random phone call had the original family on edge. There was obviously something she was missing. But regardless, this was not the place nor time to be asking questions. She began to walk towards the door, trying to leave without bothering the stressed out originals. Before she took more than two steps, Elijah stopped her.

"Caroline, ever been to the French Quarter in New Orleans?" Elijah asked her. Elijah knew his brother very well. His passion for the arts, his conflicted desire to be the alpha while wanting to redeem himself of his many mistakes, and his very picky interest towards women. As far as he knew, Klaus had only ever taken interest in a women once, long ago before they were vampires. What he felt for Tatia was trivial compared to the feelings he held for Caroline, and Elijah could see that just by the way Klaus looked at her.

"Um…no, I haven't," Caroline admitted.

"It's a beautiful place, a place my family helped build centuries ago," Elijah responded. "I apologize for the confusion earlier, you must be very confused as to what is going on here exactly." Caroline nodded, and Elijah continued, "You see, there is a very powerful witch, almost as old as we are."

"Sophie?" Caroline clarified.

"Precisely. Sophie has always been very concerned with my family's…way of living. Niklaus has made some mistakes in the past, which Sophie warned against. Her hearing of not only the hybrid slaughter but other various events in Mystic Falls could have consequences. We must go and reason with her before things get out of hand," he finished.

"She sounds…threatening," Caroline added.

Rebekah responded now, "Nosy's more like it."

Klaus nodded in agreement. He was grateful for Elijah's intervening with Caroline's departure. He didn't want to leave her just yet, "Caroline, you should come with us. I always told you I'd take you to see the world, here's your first opportunity."

Caroline looked at the three of them in surprise, they really wanted her to go with them to New Orleans, "Seriously?"

"You can keep me busy while my brothers go deal with the mess," Rebekah said playfully, "I'll show you around, we'll go shopping and have a girls day. Yeah?" Rebekah had also noticed her brother's infatuation with Caroline. He'd even gone so far as to save her over his own sister. She was obviously important to Nik, so she decided she'd try to get along with Caroline.

Caroline was perplexed by the offer, standing there by the entrance of the living room with her mouth ready to speak but no words to say. This could be the chance to get out of town for a while, literally. She needed a break from all the Elena drama. She needed to forget about Tyler and the problems with Silas and the cure. In that moment, she said, "When do we leave?"

Hearing those words, Klaus was delighted, "We'll leave in an hour, love. And if things go to plan, we'll be back tonight."

Caroline nodded, "I've gotta take are of some things then, but I'll see you back here in an hour." She left the Mikaelson mansion and drove home. It was still dark outside, her clock reading 4:38am. She'd spent so much time at Klaus's house. As soon as she arrived home, she hopped in the shower. She was excited for this new adventure. She was ready to try something new and experience the world, just as Klaus had told her once on her last birthday. Not knowing what it was they were going to be doing, Caroline decided to dress comfortably. She chose dark washed skinny jeans, a sleeveless floral top, and a cropped black jacket. Filling her bag with emergency cash, her phone charger, sunglasses, earphones, and few other necessities, Caroline was ready to go. Slipping on a pair of black booties, she was out the door and on her way to the Mikaelson mansion.

When she arrived, Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah were all dressed similarly as well. Their car was already parked in the driveway ready to take them to the airport where their private jet would depart for New Orleans. The sun was beginning to rise, and Caroline was ready for this trip, this turning point in her complicated life. Legally, she could do whatever she wanted now that she was 18. But on top of that, there wasn't the stress of having to be around Mystic Falls to aid in the next disaster. Her mom was busy at work as usual, Stefan and Damon were busy trying to fix Elena, Matt was working, and Bonnie was off somewhere trying to control her magic. Caroline was free.

Caroline noticed Klaus watching her amusingly. She walked over to him and stopped about a foot in front of him. They were caught in each other's gaze.

"Caroline," he greeted her.

"Klaus," she responded.

Caroline was beginning to see a new side of Klaus, a caring, compassionate guy who genuinely cared for her. She wasn't sure if he was in love with her on not, but there was no doubt that she meant something to him. To her, that was all she needed to know. She was determined to give him a chance at redemption as long as he was willing to compromise and change for the better. There was a lot about his life that she didn't know, and after it being revealed that Sophie held some sort of power of Klaus, Caroline was curious to find out more.

Klaus was so incredibly happy that Caroline had agreed to come with him and his family to New Orleans. He was already starting to think of places she and Rebekah could visit while he and Elijah were busy dealing with Marcel and Sophie. He was concerned about her earlier that night, but he could see now that she was doing a lot better. The light that he adored so much shined in her big blue eyes. She dressed herself proudly, her hair falling perfectly around her glowing face. Just by the way she stared into his eyes, he could tell that she was happy. But what Klaus was the most excited for was to be able to spend more time with her, to get to know her more than he already did. He wanted more nights like the one they had just spent together, more moments where they could confide and trust in one another. Klaus was ready to give Caroline everything that she'd asked him for. His quest for vengeance was not worth the strain on their relationship, for he valued Caroline too much to let her go. Aside from taking care of Silas, in which Caroline was also in favor of, Klaus was taking a break from being the bad guy.

Elijah watched as Klaus and Caroline had their moment, observing the tenderness in their expressions. He'd never seen his brother act like such a schoolboy around a girl before. It was refreshing to know that even Niklaus had a soft spot when it came to love. It reassured Elijah to know that his brother was indeed capable of redemption and goodness. Rebekah came to stand by her elder brother, "He's in love with her, you know?"

"Indeed, sister, Niklaus has finally found love," Elijah sincerely said.

"The man who said love is a vampire's greatest weakness, falling into it faster than he knows," said Rebekah. "We should get going Elijah, I want to be back here soon. I've got some stuff to sort out, too."

"Alright, just give them a minute first. It's refreshing to see him like this," Elijah admitted. He took one last look at Klaus and Caroline, who were still smiling and laughing at each other, and walked off with Rebekah towards the car.

"So you invite me to come with, and you're ditching me as soon as we get there?" Caroline asked jokingly.

"I'm sorry love, I won't be away for too long," Klaus said.

"Well you just take care of what you need to do. I'll hang out with Rebekah, and we'll go to all the places you told me about."

"You'd better. I expect a full report when we meet up later." Klaus said with his head held high, a slight smile forming as he tried to be as serious as he could.

"Oh you do, huh? We'll see about that."

Klaus stepped closer to Caroline, making the small space in between them even tinier. She looked up at him, trying to focus on anything other than the close proximity of his tempting face. "Are you ready to explore the world, Caroline?"

She failed to keep her eyes from wandering the different areas of his face. She snuck a glance past his scruffed beard and on to his full, rosy lips. Klaus swallowed hard, causing Caroline to look back up to his eyes. She nodded in response, "Yeah, I really am."

The car driver honked the horn, leading Klaus and Caroline to jump a little in surprise. Klaus held the door open for her as she slid in the back seat of the black SUV. Once all four of them were in the car ready to go, Elijah said, "Airport please."

Caroline wanted to remember this moment, this new adventure in her life. She was getting out of this small town in Virginia and going somewhere new. She was given this opportunity to go see the world, and she was determined to take full advantage of it.

"So where are you guys headed?" the driver asked amiably.

Caroline was the one to respond, "New Orleans."

* * *

**There we have it, chapter 3! I intentionally wanted all the actual NOLA stuff to be in this chapter too, but then I thought it would be too long and dragged on. Chapter 4 will be set in NOLA, and I've got a lot of stuff planned for it! It'll be up ASAP. I like the way I ended it here, just before leaving. I realized that I want to take my time to explain everything instead of making it rushed like the show does. Oh the beauty of fanfiction :) As always, review please! I seriously love getting those emails telling me someone just reviewed my story! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter 4! I thought I was gonna be able to scrape this one out super quickly, but it turns out it was pretty hard for me to write. I wanted to stick with the story line and them being in NOLA, so I had to research a bit. I was having a bit of writer's block, but I think now that this whole New Orleans thing is out of the way, I can begin with some of my favorite Klaroline ideas :D Enjoy chapter 4!**

_Playlist: The Air In The Sky by The Quiet Kind_

* * *

They arrived in New Orleans at a quarter to ten. It was a regular Sunday morning in the old French Quarter; the restaurants were taking the chairs off tables, small street bands were coming out to play old jazz music, and tourists were heading out to see the city. Klaus, Caroline, Elijah, and Rebekah found themselves walking down the famous Bourbon Street.

With his hands clasped behind his back and a content look in his eye, Klaus was going on about the history of the city, "Many of these restaurants, bars, and shops in general were actually facades put up so the owners could carry on their own affairs in secrecy."

Annoyed at the history lesson she'd already lived through, Rebekah said, "Nik, I'm sure Caroline doesn't want to hear about the history of this godforsaken city."

"Actually, I really don't mind," Caroline said as she took in the beautiful scenery. She was so intrigued by the liveliness of it all, the different types of people, the colorful allure. She walked downtown, her head moving in all directions, soaking up the new life. "I can't believe you guys helped build this all!"

Klaus was ecstatic that she was enjoying herself so much, "The seventeen hundreds seem like just yesterday, don't they brother?"

Elijah also seemed to be enjoying his return to The Big Easy, although he seemed a little anxious, "Yes, indeed it does."

"I forget that you guys are like a bajillion years old sometimes," Caroline said teasingly. The Originals laughed genuinely, for Caroline's innocence had reminded them of the beauty of time. It was bittersweet for the three of them, time. They had lived a thousand years, but still haven't found the happiness they've all desired so much.

"Oh Caroline, after a few decades have passed, you change your perception of age and time," Elijah responded. "Come find me in a hundred years, and you'll be surprised at how short the time will have seemed."

Caroline smiled, "I'll take your word for it, Elijah." She enjoyed Elijah and was even beginning to see a slightly relaxed side to his normally uptight personality.

"So Rebekah, you must take Caroline to all of biggest attractions. I trust you remember them, dear sister," Klaus reminded her. "Don't spend too much time shopping, I want her to see this great city before being smothered in shoes."

"Nik, you've already told me, as Caroline would say, a bajillion times. I've got it. Now don't you two have some business to take care of?"

Klaus and Elijah suddenly became tense, nodding their heads at their sisters remark. Klaus turned to Caroline before departing, "Enjoy today, love."

"I will," she smiled at him before he took off with Elijah.

Rebekah stood next to Caroline, watching her brothers walk side by side apprehensively to meet the expecting Sophie and Marcel. "So, ready to see the city?"

"Absolutely," Caroline answered as she and Rebekah continued down Bourbon Street.

* * *

Klaus and Elijah made their way to Marcel's house, which was practically located in the middle of nowhere. Arriving at his doorstep, Elijah advised his younger brother, "Let me do the talking Niklaus."

Klaus turned towards Elijah, "I can handle myself, brother."

Before Elijah had the chance to respond, the door opened. Marcel stood with a smug look wiped across his face. He looked just as Klaus had remembered: shaved head, dark skin, tall posture, and a gloating sense of confidence that resonated within. "Klaus, Elijah," he greeted as he gestured for them to come inside. In the living room of his grand mansion, stood Sophie and another young brunette girl.

"Niklaus," Sophie said with a coldness in her eyes. She turned to the elder brother, and all her feelings came rushing back, "Elijah." To say that Sophie was just a witch would be an understatement. She had as much power as the Original witch herself. Although Klaus and Elijah couldn't be killed without the white oak stake, Sophie could inflict so much pain upon the brothers that they'd be begging for death. Back in the early seventeen hundreds, when New Orleans was just being built, the Original family was introduced to Sophie. She was passing for the wife of a plain French immigrant when she'd immediately recognized the vampire family and revealed her true identity. They'd become great friends as they helped build the great city. Klaus, being the reckless vampire he is, began to increase the supernatural population of New Orleans. Sophie didn't like this impulsiveness, and warned against it as she feared being caught by the humans. She'd just managed to escape the witch trials in the late sixteen hundreds and did not want to risk starting up a new hunt. At the time, Klaus had promised to behave, so Sophie excused his actions. She'd started to become fond of the the elder Original, Elijah. They'd spent so much time together that she'd assumed his feelings were mutual. Elijah, still very much in love with a certain doppleganger, rejected Sophie's feelings. She blamed him for leading her on to think that the two of them could have some future together. She, till this day, still blames him.

The Original brothers stood anxiously, waiting for Sophie to say something. She decided to start by introducing the brunette girl next to her, "Boys, this is Davina. I recently discovered that she is a witch, and I took her under my wing to train her."

Davina smiled awkwardly at the two very handsome vampires across the room, them nodding in return. It was Marcel who spoke now, "It's surely been a while since we've all been in the same room together."

"Yes, it really has," Sophie said as she looked Elijah straight in the eye. "So let's just cut to the chase, shall we? Niklaus, care to tell me about this hybrid slaughter I've recently heard of?" She found a seat on the black leather couch and crossed one leg over the other, ready to start the inevitable.

"Sophie, blunt as always," Klaus answered as he also took a seat. "Where shall I begin?" And so Klaus told Sophie of his arrival at Mystic Falls, his transition into a hybrid, his ventures with Ripper Stefan, his hybrid slaughter, and the few deaths in between.

Sophie's eyebrows arched higher each time Klaus spoke of a kill. She was baffled by the impression he gave her that he enjoyed himself through it all. She asked him when he was finished, "You speak of these deaths as if they were in triumph. Do you honestly feel nothing for the innocence of humanity?"

Sophie's comment struck a chord with Klaus. He swallowed loudly as he looked down. Of course he felt guilty for the lives he took. He'd regretted a lot of them, regretted killing the few especially close to the people he loved most.

"Did I not warn you three hundred years ago Niklaus that you were to stop this madness. That your recklessness and stupidity would endanger the supernatural world. The spirits have been patient with you, but I am afraid I cannot stand aside any longer and watch you destroy this world," Sophie said angrily. She stood up now and walked towards Klaus, "You are a monster that needs to be stopped."

Klaus knew she was serious at this point. His wide eyed stare was quickly transformed into an acute sense of pain as his whole body began to hurt. It was a burning sensation, the heat increasing as the seconds passed. He shouted out in desperation, causing Elijah to rush to his brother's aid.

"Sophie, please," Elijah begged.

"Move aside Elijah, he needs to be punished," Sophie answered his plea.

"And how are you planning on achieving that?" he asked as his brother screamed louder than before. Klaus felt as though his skin was on fire, but physically his pale skin remained untouched.

"I plan on desiccating his body and locking him away for a while, show him how it feels to have his life in danger for once, sound nice Niklaus?" Sophie said with a look of disgust.

"Sophie, now I'm sure we can settle this…disagreement civilly. Let's not make any hasty decisions now, love," Klaus spat out through the pain.

"No, I don't think we can," and just like that, Klaus's body burned more intensely from the inside.

* * *

"I wonder how Klaus and Elijah are doing with this Sophie situation," Caroline said as she sipped her iced tea. She and Rebekah had spent the entire day together, visiting all the places Klaus had told them about. They'd even managed to hit a few stores in between. Exhausted from walking around town for hours, they agreed to stop at a local cafe to refresh themselves. Initially, it had been awkward between the two vampires. Neither of them really knew what to say to each other without bringing up their not so decent past. Eventually as the morning progressed, they'd bonded through sightseeing. It turned out that Caroline and Rebekah had a lot in common. They shared the same taste in clothes, in appreciation for music and art, and scenery.

Rebekah was appreciative for Caroline's concern, "I'm sure they're fine. Stuff like this always used to happen."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll call us when they're ready to go," she said in return. Attempting to change the subject, Rebekah showed her the pictures they took on her phone.

Caroline was enjoying herself, grateful for the time away from her life in Mystic Falls. New Orleans was a fast pace, lively place that was constantly awake. It was now late afternoon and the streets were beginning to fill with street performers and dancers, psychics setting up their booths, bars opening for the prospective tourists. It was like a never ending carnival, and there was always something to do.

The girls decided to sit at the cafe and enjoy the music and scenery, both too tired to walk much longer.

Klaus was on all fours, sweating through his grey henley. Sophie had been torturing him for hours now, trying to weaken him so she could perform the spell needed to desiccate him.

Elijah had been trying to reason with her, attempting to persuade her that his brother would change. He'd promised to guide his brother in the road to redemption, but she didn't believe him.

"He'll never change," she'd finally said, "he'll never feel love for another person that isn't himself. He doesn't care about human nature or the value of life!"

That's when Elijah knew he'd win Sophie over, "You're wrong. He does love someone, very much actually."

Sophie lost concentration torturing Klaus and turned to Elijah, "Who has possibly managed to weave their way through his twisted, virtually nonexistent heart?"

"Elijah," Klaus grunted through the subsiding pain. He was not going to allow his brother to put Caroline in danger.

"A young vampire back in Mystic Falls. I've seen Niklaus around her, how gentle and compassionate he is with her. He's shown her mercy and kindness that he's never expressed in our thousand years together," Elijah answered.

"What is her name?" Sophie asked impatiently.

"Caroline Forbes," he responded.

"And how do I know that you're not just covering for your dear brother Elijah? How do I know that his love for this girl is real? That he is a changed man because of her?" she asked. "I want to speak with her."

"No!" Klaus had heard enough. There was no chance Sophie was going to meet Caroline. "She's in Mystic Falls, she's got finals to study for. We don't want to disturb her studies now, do we?" He'd hoped Sophie wouldn't realize he was lying.

"You've fallen for a _student_? The big bad hybrid is in love with a school girl. Wow, maybe you really have changed," Sophie laughed at this new discovery.

Klaus wanted to defend Caroline, he wanted to tell Sophie that she wasn't just some girl. She was strong, mature, determined. He decided against it, not wanting to aggravate Sophie further than he already had.

"And how does Caroline Forbes feel about you, Niklaus?" she said amusingly.

In that moment, Klaus really hated Sophie. She stood there impatiently waiting for him to answer her question, "It's complicated."

"Complicated? Meaning she doesn't feel the same way about you?" Sophie was laughing now. "Ah, karma's a bitch isn't it. You take away people's happiness Niklaus, and so the world takes away yours."

He was beginning to get angered by the enjoyment she was getting from the most personal details in his life.

"Very well then, consider yourself warned Niklaus," Sophie concluded, "if I hear anymore of your doings then I will end you."

Klaus's face was expressionless, a tight line forming across his mouth. He did not enjoy feeling inferior to anybody. "Always a pleasure, Sophie." He'd grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. Elijah and Marcel were following behind him.

"Well that went well," Marcel said catching up to Klaus. Marcel was one of the vampires Klaus had turned in the early seventeen hundreds. They were good friends back then, Klaus having taught him everything about the benefits of vampirism.

"If you don't mind Marcel, I'd really like to get the hell out of here," Klaus said as he walked away. Taking that as a hint, he'd retreated back in the direction of his house.

The sun was setting now, and Klaus was furious with Elijah at this point, "How could you put Caroline in danger like that?"

Elijah was surprised at his brother's rage, "Sophie was not going to hurt her, brother."

"She could have found out that she was here in New Orleans!" Klaus retorted.

"I apologize, Niklaus, for trying to save your life," Elijah said exasperated. They were walking through a graveyard, trying to get back into the city.

Klaus took a deep breath, "Look Elijah, I appreciate you standing up for me. But there are a lot of people out there who want me dead, and a lot of people who will do anything to find a weakness in me. For the sake of her safety, they cannot find out about Caroline."

Elijah knew in that moment that his brother was changing. He was putting someone in front of himself for once in his life, "You really love her."

Klaus looked at his brother so vulnerably. There was no point trying to deny it in front of his brother, so he decided to be honest, "Yes, I do."

Elijah just smiled at him. They didn't say anything else on the subject, both knowing how sensitive the topic of Caroline was. Klaus did not like to appear weak and vulnerable to anybody. Talking about Caroline evoked those emotions from him, and frankly, it scared him. Elijah understood that. For now, it would be enough.

* * *

He was finally at the edge of Royal Street where it was still dark and mostly empty. Elijah decided to go find Rebekah and Caroline so they could all go back home to Mystic Falls. Klaus walked by himself towards one of his favorite places in the city. This street was home to some of the world's greatest works of art. On one of the walls was a painting, a very dark and somber mural. Just by looking at it, Klaus felt guilty. There were so many implications of death and misery in the painting.

"Intense, huh?" A voice said from behind him. Klaus turned to find a young blond girl pointing to the mural.

Nodding his head, Klaus responded, "Indeed it is. Very evil."

"I don't think it's evil. It's just dark, and complicated."

Klaus arched is eyebrow in question. She continued, "I think there's a reason why people do bad things. There's a hidden story in every villain."

"Really," Klaus was interested in her theory.

"Yeah, nobody is born evil. They had to get there somehow. Most of the time, all they need is for a person to give them a chance. For that person to believe that they're capable of being saved."

Klaus took her words to heart, thinking only of Caroline. She'd once told him that he was capable of being saved. He remembered how accepted and safe that made him feel. All he wanted in that moment was to talk to Caroline and tell her everything that was going on in his head.

"And what happens when he finds this person?" Klaus asked.

"If he's smart, he'll change for the better."

"Let's hope that he is," Klaus smiled at her before he took off to find Caroline.

Elijah had texted him saying to meet them all at the corner of Bourbon and St. Peter Street. He'd arrived to see her laughing with Rebekah about something, the light reflecting off her golden hair. _God, she's beautiful. _He walked up to them and smiled, "I hope you girls had a lovely day."

"We did, actually. Thanks," Caroline said with a sweet smile.

"Caroline can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked her nervously. There were a few things he wanted to tell her before he lost his chance.

She was confused as to what he might say, but she accepted anyways, "Yeah, sure."

They walked down the street together, side by side. He decided he'd better say something before she grew suspicious.

"Caroline, I'm sorry," he told her. Even as she'd tried to guess what he was going to say to her, this was far from what she'd expected. She stopped walking and stared at him with a wide eyed, confused look.

He walked closer to her and put his hands on the sides of her shoulders, "I'm sorry I've done so many things to hurt you and the people that you love. You told me once that I was capable of being saved. And I know that I've done things to change that opinion since, but I want nothing more than to prove to you otherwise. I want to be a person worthy of you, a person who you could someday love and care about. You're the only person who has ever believed in me, in the possibility of my redemption. I want to be that person that you once believed in again. I guess what I am trying to ask you is, am I too late?"

Caroline was shocked to hear these words from Klaus. She hadn't expected any of it. She looked up at him only to find the most sincere look in his glistening eyes. He was inches from her, and he could probably hear her staggered breathing. She shook her head, still speechless. He dropped his hands from the her shoulders.

Taking his hand in hers, she said, "No, you're not too late."

He smiled down at her gratefully for her compassion and acceptance. They looked at their touching hands, Caroline swallowing nervously. She'd broke away from the embrace and said quickly, "We should go, they're probably wondering where we went."

The two of them walked back towards Elijah and Rebekah, who were waiting for their return. The car was ready to take them back to Mystic Falls. It had been a nice escape, New Orleans, but it was not home. Caroline enjoyed herself today and her time with Rebekah. It was nice to know that there were places other than Mystic Falls, that there were different lifestyles and people out there. But for now, the place she needed to be-the place she wanted to be-was Mystic Falls.

Klaus took his seat next to Caroline, and Rebekah and Elijah followed after him. The driver headed for the airport. It had been a very long day, clearly everyone was tired. Klaus sat back in his seat, relieved that everything had worked out. He was ready to change for the better.

In that moment, Caroline rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes in peace and comfort.

* * *

**Oh wow, that was actually kind of a long chapter! Are you guys liking the length? Let me know! Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows! To all the guests who review, I wish I could respond to all you amazing people! Next chapter, look forward to two Klauses, Silas, and a very confused Caroline :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd just like to first thank everyone for all the support! I love it when my phone buzzes to tell me I've got new reviews/follows/favorites. Seriously, you guys make my day! Here's chapter 5, enjoy :)**

_Playlist: Not In Love by Olin and the Moon, Long Gone and Moved On by The Script, We Are the Tide by Blind Pilot, Out of Reach by Matthew Perryman Jones, The Boy Who Trapped The Sun by Copper Down_

* * *

Caroline awoke from her sleep because of the incessant beeping of her alarm. She growled under her pillow, too tired to get up and start the day. It was a few hours passed midnight by the time Caroline got home. She hadn't even bothered to tip-toe inside, knowing her mother wasn't , it was six AM, and Caroline Forbes had to get ready for school. She was counting down the days until graduation; two more weeks until she was free from this high school act. Eventually she forced herself out of the comfort of her bed and got ready.

As she was doing her hair, she began to recall the events of last night. She'd run away from her life here to go to New Orleans with Klaus and his family. Klaus! Of all people, she found herself running away with him! But he wasn't as bad as Caroline had presumed. He'd apologized to her last night, unexpectedly and wholeheartedly. What had gotten into him, she had no idea. One thing she was certain of was that she wasn't ready to forgive him so easily. There were still a lot of things for them to talk about before she could forget everything and start over. She wanted to believe him when he said he'd change, but he would have to prove it to her first.

It was a long day at school, after all, who likes Mondays? Throughout the school day, so many people had come up to Caroline to thank her for planning such an amazing senior prom. She'd of course smiled and told them how happy she was that they'd enjoyed it. In a way she was genuinely happy that some people actually had a good time, but still she couldn't help but think about her horrible experience. _Two more weeks, _Caroline chanted silently as she survived yet another day.

When the bell had finally rung, it took all of Caroline's will power not to use her vampire speed to get to her car. She just wanted to go home and get away from all these people. There was a lot she needed to think about and in order for any progress to be made, she needed to be anywhere but here. As she was walking towards her car, she was digging through her bag to find her keys. Turning towards her car, she saw him leaning on the driver's side, arms folded with a smug look across his face.

"Aren't we in a rush?" Klaus said amusingly. Caroline stared at him through her eyelashes, she was clearly not finding this very funny.

"Seriously. You know, just because we hung out this weekend doesn't mean you are instantly forgiven!" Caroline said while she attempted to push him away from her car door.

"Now don't be hasty, one might think you're running away from me," he finally gave up trying to stay put.

"I'm not running away, I'm just tired. I didn't really get much sleep last night, thank you very much," she teased him before getting into her car.

Klaus leaned into her open window, his face suddenly serious, "Now Caroline, I really can't let you go." And just like that, Caroline's neck snapped, wide eyes turning stone cold.

Klaus had seated himself on the long leather couch, resting his back against the hand, feet propped up. He had his sketchpad in hand and an array of pencils scattered across his lap making their way into the crevices of the sofa. His recent ventures with the young vampire had inspired his artistic side. He found himself drawing the landscapes of downtown Bourbon Street, the smile in Caroline's eyes when she told him he wasn't too late, himself reunited with his siblings once again. It was safe to say that Klaus was very happy at the moment. He'd gotten more than he'd hoped for in these past few days, and Klaus appreciated that.

Just when things couldn't get any better, his phone buzzed. There was a message from none other than Caroline herself reading: _Hey, meet me in the woods, where we buried the witches? _He was immediately concerned with this request. Why did she want to go the woods off all places? Why didn't she just come over to his house? He decided to trust Caroline's judgement and meet her where she'd asked, regardless of its strangeness. He replied: _Yeah, I'll be there in 5. _

Grabbing his jacket, Klaus headed for the door. The woods began on the outskirts of his mansion making it easy for him to reach the location quicker thanks to his vampire speed. As he approached the burial site, Klaus was aware of not one, but two people's presence. He became tense as he slowed his pace, having arrived. He searched the grounds for Caroline and whoever else was with her.

She was laying on the forrest floor, arms folded perfectly over her torso. Her skin was very pale and very lifeless. Klaus rushed towards her and shook her still body, shouting, "Caroline! Wake up, Caroline!" He'd lifted her off the woody floor and cradled her in his arms. After observing the condition of her body, he concluded that she was not dead, not definitively at least.

"Niklaus, glad you could finally join us," a very familiar voice said above him. Klaus lifted his head and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. This man who stood before him looked exactly like himself. That's when he knew who he was dealing with.

"Silas," Klaus spat out, still holding an unconscious Caroline. "What have you done with her?"

Silas squatted in front of Klaus, rolling his eyes like it was no big deal, "Oh, right. This one was going to get away from me and I just couldn't let that happen. Snapped her neck."

Klaus's face went stiff, a raging anger building up inside. Silas was not oblivious to this sudden change in expression, "Don't like it when I hurt her, do we?"

"Leave her out of this," Klaus warned cautiously.

"Then give me the cure, Niklaus," Silas started. "Stop all of this madness and give me what I want. Protect your girlfriend, no more lives have to be lost."

Caroline gasped suddenly, trying to catch her breath as she surfaced to reality. She blinked constantly, trying to steady herself on the present. She looked up to find herself cradled in Klaus's arms. One of his hands caressed the side of her face, brushing away the hairs in her face. He tried to give her that same look she'd seen so many times before: the look of compassion and sincerity. Now, it was clouded with a look of concern and fear.

"Caroline," Klaus whispered, "It's okay, you're safe."

She stared up at him, wide-eyed. All the memories came rushing back: Klaus by her car after school sweet talking her, her trying to push him away, him snapping her neck. Once she reached this realization, she jumped out of his embrace and backed away from him.

"You attacked me. You snapped my neck!" she said as she tried to control her staggered breathing.

"Caroline that wasn't me. Silas took over my body," Klaus tried to reason with her.

Silas came out from behind a nearby tree, still disguised as Klaus. Caroline saw both of the Klauses and was instantly terrified. They looked exactly the same, both dressed in the same black leather jacket, grey henley, and dark washed jeans. One of them was clearly Silas.

"What the hell is going on?" Caroline said through her shortened gasps. Both of the Klauses approached her, trying to convince her that they were the right Klaus.

One of them started, "Caroline please, don't believe this impostor!"

The other retorted, "Oh please, says the coward who hides in someone else's body!"

The first one walked up to Caroline, who had backed herself up against a nearby tree for support, "Caroline, it's me. Klaus. I took you to New Orleans yesterday, I gave you your bracelet back on Saturday."

For a moment, Caroline wanted to believe that this was the real Klaus. After all, the things he was saying to prove himself were correct. But then she remembered what Klaus had said about Silas being in his head, "Silas would know all of that, it doesn't prove anything to me."

"Very well then," Silas retreated, "I guess you'll have to decide which one of us is the true Klaus."

"And how the hell am I supposed to do that? You look exactly the same!" Caroline flailed her arms around in confusion.

The real Klaus, the quieter one finally spoke, "You'll notice that people often find other ways to communicate with each other." He walked up to his beautiful Caroline, cursing himself for letting it get to this situation. She stood there, incredibly lost at what to do, how to choose.

"Silas why don't you just stop hiding behind someone else's shadow and show us who you really are? It would make our lives so much easier," Caroline said with a hint of sarcasm.

Neither of the two Klauses said a word. Silas wanted so desperately to defend himself, but decided against it.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered. Klaus felt his heart drop to his stomach. This was all his fault, she was put in this position because he'd been too casual about Silas.

"Caroline…" Klaus trailed off. He had no idea what to do or say without scaring her off. He had to prove to her some way that it was really him.

Caroline was completely lost. She decided that she needed to come up with a way to determine who the real Klaus was, and she needed to do it fast. She knew his mannerisms, she knew how gentle he was with her. The Klaus who talked the most convinced her at first because of his determination to get her to choose him, but the other Klaus who spoke only a few times said things only the real Klaus would say. She looked at them both, hoping to find reassurance in their eyes. Then, Caroline devised a plan.

She began to walk towards the Klaus who was quiet, the one who reminded her that there was more than one way to communicate with a person. She'd experienced this on more than one occasion. Caroline had gotten caught in his gaze before, and so this time was no different. She had a great sense of hope that she would find that familiarity, that safety she always felt when she looked at him. Before this moment, she never would have admitted that to herself. But for once, she was thankful for her intimate connection she had with him.

Klaus was elated that she was walking towards him. A part of him knew that she was testing him. He was determined to pass. He'd decided to give it everything he'd got, to not hold back. He'd opened himself to her with nothing to hide. He would have to trust her that she would choose right.

Caroline tried to suppress a smile, for she found her answer. The moment she saw those puppy dog eyes, she knew it was Klaus. To be absolutely sure, she'd walked over to the other Klaus. She'd given him the same hopeful stare, praying that he wouldn't react the same way. To her pleasure, he smiled back with a ringing confidence within him, not a hint of compassion in those eyes. Caroline walked back to her tree and broke off a branch.

Klaus knew immediately what she was going to do. He rushed to her, throwing the stick out of her hand before it could pierce her skin. She looked up at him with a wide grin, "Klaus."

He smiled down at her, relieved that she'd made the right decision. Caroline wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close. Klaus was initially surprised at her reaction, but pushed the thought aside as he returned her embrace.

"Nicely done Caroline, you've found your Nikalus," Silas's smug expression quickly transforming into a serious frown.

Klaus and Caroline turned towards Silas, still holding onto each other as though they were going to be separated again. Caroline closed her hand on Klaus's chest, grabbing his shirt in her grip. She was reminded of the fact that Silas was an all powerful immortal witch who was capable of inflicting great pain.

"Consider this your last warning Niklaus. Bring me my cure or I will start killing those you love most." Silas raised his hand and brushed Caroline's cheek, causing her to shiver, "Starting with your dear Caroline." Klaus tightened his hold on Caroline's waist, pulling him closer to her. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to protect her from Silas's wrath.

And just like that, Silas vanished. Klaus and Caroline stood there holding on to each other not moving a muscle, afraid that if they did, all hell would break loose. Caroline spoke softly, "What are we going to do?"

Instantaneously, Klaus's focus shifted towards her. He looked down at her suddenly concerned with her safety, "Are you alright, did he hurt you?"

She released her grip from his shirt and shook her head, "Yeah, I'm fine."

He was dying to find out, "How did you know it was me?"

"You wouldn't let me hurt myself," Caroline lied. She knew before she had broken that tree branch who the real Klaus was. She had known the moment she looked into those eyes, she had seen his sensitivity.

He smiled down at her, his arms still wrapped around her waist. It took him a moment to convince himself to finally let go. He seemed to be at a loss for words. Never in his thousand years had he felt so inferior to anyone, aside from his father. No one had ever demanded anything of him or found a weakness to use against him. Klaus did not like feeling so vulnerable around people who had power over him, "Silas must be stopped."

"How? He's determined to get this cure, and I'm pretty sure he wasn't' joking when he said he'd start killing people."

He could sense her worry, her fear that her life was in danger once more, "Caroline he won't hurt you. I can promise you that."

"You can't promise me that Klaus, not unless you give him that cure," she said as she paced back and forth.

"He's not getting the cure. We'll find a way," Klaus said reassuringly.

Caroline was reminded of all the numerous plans she, Stefan, Damon, Elena, Tyler, and Bonnie had come up with in the past to stop one catastrophe or another. In the end, no matter what it took, they always found a way. A lot of the times it wasn't pretty, and it surely wasn't easy. But nonetheless, things seemed to work out somehow.

"Yeah," she turned to look at him, "we'll find a way."

Klaus and Caroline had begun to walk back to the mansion in silence. Both of them were trying to think of ways to finish Silas once and for all. Klaus was trying to compile a list of witches that could help take down Silas, as Bonnie was currently not the most trustworthy person. Caroline was thinking of the tombs where they'd once locked away Katherine and Stefan by accident.

They'd reached the Mikaelson home at sunset. Klaus held the door open for Caroline before following in after her. He made his way towards the fireplace and began shuffle the wood around, eventually lighting it up. Caroline sat in her usual corner seat of the long black couch, her face in her hands. Klaus took a seat next to her in silence.

"What about the tomb?" she proposed.

"What tomb?" Klaus was not familiar with her suggestion.

"The tomb where they used to keep the vampires from like Damon and Stefan's time. It's bewitched or something so whoever goes in can't come out unless they have some sort of spell."

"That would be perfect, except for the fact that Silas is a witch, love," Klaus said defeatedly.

"Damnit, I forgot about that," Caroline was so tired. "One day back in Mystic Falls and I already died once."

Klaus laughed half-heartedly. He was silent for a while before he spoke, "Caroline, we need to come up with a plan. Fast."

"I know, but I think we need help."

"There's no way Damon and Stefan are helping," Klaus said immediately.

"I highly doubt they would even if we asked," she began. "They're fixated on getting the cure for Elena."

"And Rebekah wants it for herself, god knows why," Klaus added.

"And Katherine and Tyler want to use it against you," Caroline concluded.

Klaus became stiff as Caroline mentioned the last intention. He asked cautiously, "And what about you? What do you want with it?"

She raised her brows as she leant back into the couch, "I wish this damn cure didn't exist. It's done nothing but tear people apart over some possibility of becoming human again. But since it does exist, and there happens to be a psycho immortal on the loose, I think the best decision is to stop him before he lifts the veil."

Klaus remained silent, not really sure what to say. Caroline caught onto his hostility, "Look, as much as I want the old Elena back, there are more important things out there right now. And I don't think being human is going to solve Rebekah's problems either. As for you, I'm don't want to kill you. There are probably a lot of people out there who do, and I used to be one of them, but I'm not anymore. If you're serious about changing, then so am I."

Klaus was comforted by her honesty. She had tried to kill him on more than one occasion, so it was reasonable for him to suspect her now. But having heard what she just revealed to him, he knew that she was on his side.

"I'm on your team, Klaus."

* * *

**So there we have it! Let me know what you guys think in a review :) I LOVE reading them! Leave any suggestions for story ideas, character preferences, literary criticism, anything! To all the guests who review, I am not able to respond because you guys don't have accounts-but I promise I'm reading them with smiles on my face! Thanks guys, have a lovely day :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT POSTING FOR LIKE 3 WEEKS. I AM HORRIBLE I KNOW. I've just been swamped with school, but I have not forgotten all of your story follows and reviews and favorites. Thank you to those who stuck with this story. I promise to post more often :) ****Please leave requests for story ideas on my tumblr _escapetoanotherplace_ or in a review! ****Enjoy chapter 6! **

_Playlist: Until You Won Me Over by Trent Dabbs, Flapper Girl by The Lumineers, Obstacle 1 by Interpol, You Fill My Heart by Jason Walker, Black Eyes by Radial Face, Like A Man Possessed by The Get Up Kids_

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It was getting harder to believe that only days were passing by with all of the drama unfolding. Caroline had left the Mikaelson mansion late last night after a very tiresome day. Klaus was pacing back and forth in his living room now, brainstorming how he would get the cure, and how he could use it to his advantage over Silas. He didn't like feeling inadequate, feeling inferior to anyone. That was, after all, the reason he was so driven to become the all mighty original hybrid. He didn't have to succumb to anything. He _was _the alpha.

Klaus's thoughts were interrupted as Elijah came walking through the front door. His appearance was disheveled, jacket wrinkled, tie loosely hanging around his undone collar.

"You look like ass, brother," Klaus bluntly said as he gestured for Elijah to sit down.

Klaus began to poor his brother a drink when Elijah quickly motioned to stop, "No thank you. I'm still getting over all of the alcohol consumed last night." Klaus nodded his head and poured himself a glass. He'd never seen his brother hungover before, and it really was quite amusing.

Elijah took note of Klaus's slight smirk and sighed, "Niklaus there is something I must tell you."

His head slowly rose, a very serious stare in his eyes, "What now Elijah?"

Elijah propped up his feet on the couch and began, "Before our trip to New Orleans, before returning to Mystic Falls, I spent some time in a small town in Pennsylvania. Little did I know that I would meet…someone from our past."

"Who?" Klaus raised his eyebrows impatiently.

Elijah hesitated before speaking again, "Katerina." Klaus's jaw clenched tightly, but Elijah continued anyways, "She has given me something that you desire, Niklaus. She had possession of the cure, and she's given it to me with the hope that you will give her her freedom in return."

"You want me to let Katerina go free? Are you delusional Elijah?" Klaus spat out with disgust.

"Brother, I am not finished. Rebekah has told me that she too wants the cure. That she has this deep desire to once again be human. See, I knew that you would never let go of your obsession with revenge. You wouldn't even set her free for me. So I promised Rebekah that if she could go an entire day without using any vampire abilities, if she could truly live one night as a human, that the cure would be hers."

"You're telling me that you gave the cure to REBEKAH!" Klaus threw his glass into the fire, screaming with rage.

"That is not the end of it, either. See Rebekah came to me and told me that she succeeded. That she could handle being a human, that she didn't want to be a vampire anymore. Only the person who appeared to me was not Rebekah. It was Silas, disguised as our sister. So, brother, the cure is now in the hands of the oldest and probably most dangerous immortal creature known to exist," Elijah concluded as he stared off, a blank expression on his face.

Klaus let out a slight breath as he began to smile a little, "Silas has the cure. Rebekah remains a vampire. Katerina still fears for her life. Silas can stop harassing me and the people I love. He's finally got what he wanted and can get out of our hair then!"

"So you're not at all worried what he will do with it? Lift the veil, bring back the supernatural dead? All of your enemies, innocents you killed. Does that thought not bother you?" Elijah asked steadily, his voice raising as he asked each question.

"He will not succeed," Klaus finalized, "I will not let him."

Elijah stood from his seat, shook his head, and walked off towards his room. He did not believe the nerve of his younger brother. Just days before, he was a kinder man. He wonder if Caroline knew this side of Niklaus, if she knew this obsessive, manipulative side.

* * *

Caroline was slouching in her seat in history. The teacher was too lazy to teach and decided to play a historical movie instead. Caroline wasn't even paying attention to the subject, and it surely didn't help that the lights were off. Were they studying the American Revolution, Gulf War? She didn't know. The countdown to graduation was reaching its end, so what was the point in school anymore? She was all ready to graduate, slacking off in one class wasn't the end of the world. Besides, she was far too preoccupied with the whole Silas situation. After being attacked yesterday, she didn't know what to expect from him anymore. She and Klaus had been trying to come up with ways to stop Silas, but how exactly does one take down an all mighty vampire-witch-immortal? Her phone vibrated in her pocket, breaking her trance. She slowly hid it under her desk, trying to mask the bright light in the dark classroom.

The message was from Klaus, _Silas has the cure, we're gonna be okay for now ;)_

Caroline couldn't believe it. She texted him back, _How?! I thought Katherine had it!_

_Long story love, I'll explain later when I see you._

Caroline had spent all of last night and this morning worrying about Silas, she was not about to let this go that easily. She slowly excused herself from class and made her way to the bathroom down the hall. She dialed his number and paced the deserted bathroom floor until he finally picked up.

Klaus laughed as he saw the caller ID, "Caroline, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

"Oh screw school Klaus, tell me what happened!" Caroline responded impatiently.

He figured there was no way of getting around her, "Katherine gave the cure to Elijah some weeks ago, he gave it to Rebekah, only it wasn't Rebekah, it was Silas, disguised as Rebekah."

"Oh my god, seriously? Elijah had it all this time and he didn't tell you!"

"My response exactly."

"So how does this mean we're gonna be okay? I mean the veil and everything, it's never gonna stop Klaus." Caroline said, but there was no answer. "Hello? Klaus!"

The line was cut off, her cell phone indicating that she had no cell phone reception. Then things began to get weird as the lights in the bathroom flickered violently, until they finally shut off for good. Caroline used the flashlight on her phone to help her get out of the creepy bathroom. The entire school was crowded in the hallway, trying to make their way out of the school doors. The lights in the classrooms and in the hallways were all off too, and Caroline figured it was just a blackout. She tried to find the others, but the hallways were so crowded that she couldn't recognize anyone. Finally outside, she made her way to her car. When she was about half way through the parking lot, she realized that her keys were in her bag back in her history classroom. _Damn._

Caroline started walking towards the empty school building. The weather was bad outside too, dark clouds forming, wind howling. It was going to rain. As she made her way through the school, Caroline was officially creeped out. She quickly grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom. But she couldn't help but sense that someone was following her. She turned her head in all directions, paranoid that she was going to be attacked yet again. Could Silas be responsible for all of this? Was he performing his weird sacrifice ritual right now? Turning at the corner of the hallway, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her standing there, with a suspiciously calm expression on her face.

"Hello, Caroline," said the dark skinned woman. It was the witch who tried to kill Bonnie weeks ago, the witch who Caroline stabbed, inadvertently killing eleven other witches, too. _How is she here, how is this even possible?_

Caroline began to breath heavily, she had absolutely no idea what to say. The woman walked closer to her, and backed Caroline against the wall. "You're probably wondering how I'm here," Caroline kept silent, "Well once you completed the last sacrifice when you killed me and my friends, you let Silas have access to lifting the veil."

"He lifted the veil?" Caroline whispered.

"Sort of, still in the process of getting what he wants." She was pacing back and forth in front of Caroline, watching her closely.

Caroline was eyeing the hallway, trying to formulate a plan to get out of here and away from this witch. As soon as the woman moved away from her, Caroline bolted for the door. She used her vamp speed to get out of the school and towards her car. Before she could get outside, the witch appeared in front of her. Caroline halted and turned for the other direction, only to be stopped by another witch. She found herself surrounded by twelve, angry witches, all of whom she killed.

* * *

Klaus was trying to play around with his phone, Caroline was in the middle of saying something when the line got cut off. His cell phone was telling him he had no reception, and to make matters worse, the power went off in his mansion. _What is going on? _

Klaus grabbed a jacket and headed for the door. He wasn't sure if this was just another blackout or if something was seriously wrong, either way, he wasn't taking a chance with letting anything happen to Caroline. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a familiar face. It was one of his hybrids, the girl he'd killed last. Kate, Kim, he couldn't remember.

"Klaus, surprised?" she said with a big smirk wiped across her face.

"I thought I killed you," Klaus finally said after a few moments of silence as he pushed her aside and walked towards his car. Leaning against his black SUV was another one of his hybrids whose name he could not for the life of him remember. Klaus turned his head, surrounded by all of the hybrids he'd killed the night of the Christmas Festival.

"Care to tell me what exactly is going on here?" he asked slowly, trying to mask his anxiety.

"Your friend Silas, let's just say that he's about to bring all of us back for good. Wouldn't you just love that?" another hybrid said from behind him.

* * *

Back in the high school, Caroline decided it was time to say something, to say what she wanted to say for the past couple of weeks. "I am so so sorry for…killing you. Killing you all," she said as she turned to look at all of the witches, "I was protecting my friend, it didn't even hit me that killing you would kill all of you."

"When witches are bound, they're interlocked in the most intimate way. What you do to one affects us all."

"I understand that now, it was a mistake and I am so sorry. I acted out of impulse to save my best friend," Caroline said with much guilt.

"To save one, you killed twelve, not so fair is it," another woman said.

Caroline shook her head, "No it isn't. You all had families. Mothers, fathers, children. I took it all away from you."

It was silent for a while, and Caroline figured that they were going to either torture her, or kill her. They could somehow sense her worry, and reassured her, "We are not going to kill you. We're here to warn you to stop Silas. This sacrifice that he is performing will take time, and it must happen on the full moon in a few days in order to be complete. If you want to redeem yourself, stop this sacrifice, prevent the dead from returning."

Caroline nodded, "I will. I don't know how, but I will. Thank you." The witches suddenly disappeared, and Caroline was left alone in the empty school hallway. She ran to her car in the pouring rain, relieved to be away from the ghosts. She had to tell everyone what happened, no matter what side they were on. The cure was gone now, it was time everyone focused on taking down Silas. She decided to go to Klaus, wanting to tell him everything and formulate a plan. She figured it wouldn't be easy for him to work with everyone, so she would need to convince him. Caroline stepped on the gas, leaving the abandoned parking lot behind.

* * *

Klaus was not afraid of his hybrids, they couldn't kill him, "I don't know what exactly you expect to happen here."

"We want revenge. You turned us into hybrids, sired us to you, and then when we tried to get free from your psychotic reign, you killed us," a hybrid said as they all made their way closer to Klaus.

One of the hybrids pulled something silver out of from his jacket pocket, and Klaus immediately recognized the white oak stake his mother created.

"Now where did you get that?" Klaus was finding it hard to keep calm.

"We're ghosts, we've been watching you for a while now Klaus, we know a lot."

"You realize that if you kill me, you kill a whole lot of other people, too," Klaus saw that he had an advantage over these people. "That includes Tyler, Caroline, Stefan, Damon, Elena, and thousands more. Do you really want to be responsible for all of those lives. Then you'd really be just as bad as I was to you."

"So you just get to go free, like nothing ever happened? I don't think so," the guy with the white oak stake began to run towards Klaus, ready to strike.

He was quickly tackled by one of his hybrid friends before causing any damage, "You can't man, he's right. We're not like him, we're not killers."

"Yeah, we'll find another way to end him. When we're back for good, we'll have an entire army of people who want him dead," said another girl.

"Maybe we'll try that desiccation spell your friends failed at before, how does that sound?"

"I'd love to see you try," Klaus spat back as he approached the guy holding the white oak stake. Klaus grabbed it out of the hybrid's trembling hand, and smirked an evil grin.

Her car was reaching the house quickly, and the hybrids took notice of who was driving. As Caroline parked in the driveway, she also recognized the hybrids. She ran out into the rain, gasping when she saw the white oak stake in Klaus's hand. They were planning on killing him.

"What is going?" Caroline said in disbelief.

One of the hybrids smiled as he looked at Klaus, "Or maybe we'll just kill her."

Klaus was very still, as the rain came down harder. He whispered aggressively, walking closer to the hybrid, "Do not test me."

The hybrids suddenly disappeared, just as the witches did with Caroline. She approached him carefully, not sure what to say. It began to thunder, so Caroline took hold of Klaus's arm and dragged him towards the house.

Once they were in the warmth and safety of his house, Caroline began to remove her soaked jacket, making her way to his bathroom to find a towel. Klaus followed her, slowly regaining his composure. She tossed him a towel and he also started to dry off.

"What the hell is going on Klaus?" she asked him as she dried her hair, "The witches that I killed ambushed me at school, the hybrids tried to kill you!"

"What happened at school, what do you mean the witches ambushed you?" Klaus was incredibly concerned.

"They didn't hurt me, or try to kill me or anything," Caroline took note of the worry in his voice. They were both very wet, and very close to each other. Klaus took her face in his hands, brushing away the stray strands of her wet hair. He was so certain that he had an advantage over everyone in this world, but now he knew that there was a weakness that he could not fight against. Caroline held her breath, unsure of what Klaus would do. It was hard to focus on the problem at hand when he was holding her close, looking at her with such compassion and love. He looked worried, scared almost. She was learning more and more each time that they were together, how much he actually cared for her. He never had to say anything, but she knew just how much she meant to him.

"They made me promise to stop Silas," Caroline said, breaking the thick tension before it led to something else she wasn't quite ready for just yet. "He's performing some sort of sacrifice right now, and it'll be complete on the day of the full moon."

Klaus dropped his hands from her face down to her arms, "What sacrifice?"

"I don't know, but I do know that we don't have a lot of time," she shook her head. "We need help Klaus, from Stefan and Damon and Bonnie."

"Now why would they help us? They want the cure for Elena, they'll betray us at some point, won't they?"

"Silas has the cure now, it's gone. We need to forget about the cure and focus on stopping him, I'm sure they'll get that," Caroline was convinced. "It's time that we learn to trust each other Klaus, otherwise we're never gonna get anywhere."

He looked at her, finding it very difficult to break away from those beautiful blue eyes. It was hypnotizing to get caught in her gaze. He nodded his head slowly, "I guess we should go then."

"Yeah, I'll drive," Caroline hung the towel to dry and walked passed Klaus towards the door. Being around Klaus brought out a bunch of feelings that she wasn't used to. Physically, she felt safe knowing that he'd never hurt her or let anything happen to her. After he bit her weeks ago, almost letting her die only to save her at her dying hour, she knew that he couldn't let her go. She knew he'd tried to kill her to eliminate his one weakness, but he just couldn't go through with it. Emotionally, Caroline was lost. She felt adored around him, knowing that he deeply cared about her. She felt passion, adventure, excitement, possibility, love. And all of these feelings scared her, because she wasn't allowed to fall for him. He was the bad guy, he'd done terrible things. But that person, the person who'd killed all those hybrids, Carol Lockwood, Aunt Jenna, that person was trying to change. That person cared about her, wanted to change for her. She could not just forget that. She knew with all her heart that she trusted him, trusted that he'd help her stop Silas. She just wasn't sure he trusted her, trusted that they were all done trying to kill him.

They both got into her car, Klaus sitting in the passenger's seat, Caroline driving. They rode in silence for the most part toward the Salvatore mansion. Klaus could tell that there was something bothering Caroline, just by the way she gripped the wheel, her stiff posture, firm expression. He knew she was determined to work with Stefan and all of them, and he also knew that she wanted his help. She was inviting him to be a part of their group, and that it was important to her.

"I trust you, Caroline."

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**Gosh I love coming up with the one-liners in the bottom. Writing again after weeks makes me so happy guys. Next chapter will be about stopping Silas and Klaus joining Team Good Guys :) Review pleeeeease, my heart melts when I'm bored in class and my phone buzzes to tell me I've got a review or new follower! **


	7. Chapter 7

**I forgot how much I loved to write :) Thanks to everyone who has been reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! I love you guys! Follow my tumblr escapetoanotherplace for more klaroline amazingness! Enjoy chapter 7 :)**

_Playlist: In Front Of You by The Quiet Kind, Slow Show by The National, Ungodly Hour by The Fray, Wolves by Down Like Silver, Nashville by Noah Gundersen, California Save Me by The Filthy Souls, Dreaming With A Broken Heart by John Mayer, Fall by Ed Sheeran_

* * *

It was mid afternoon when Klaus and Caroline arrived at the Salvatore mansion. The rain was still coming down pretty hard as the wind was beginning to pick up. All of their cars were parked in the driveway, so they figured everyone was here. As Caroline pulled up behind Matt's truck, she noticed Stefan talking to a some blond woman outside on the second floor balcony. He was laughing and smiling a lot, too. It was very unusual to see Stefan happy like this.

"Who's she?" Klaus also took notice of this woman as he got out of the car.

Caroline walked closer to the house, looking up trying to identify this mysterious woman. When the woman turned around, Caroline instantly recognized the familiar face. In a very confused tone, she told Klaus, "That's Lexi, she was Stefan's best friend."

They made their way into the dimly lit mansion. The power was still off, but there were candles burning everywhere. Caroline walked closely behind Klaus as he navigated the way to the library. Along the way, Caroline could hear faint laughter in the other room, so she turned in the direction of the sound. She saw Matt sitting on the floor against the wall, his sister next to him laughing into his shoulder.

"Vicki?" Caroline said out disbelief. Both Matt and Vicki looked up to find a very confused Caroline.

"Hey! Care, this is crazy right?" Matt said happily.

"Hey Caroline, I don't know how this is possible, but you guys can finally see me!" Vicki smiled.

Caroline didn't know what to say, so she smiled back. It was a bittersweet moment, to have the dead back. It would be wonderful to have all of their friends and family back, to pretend like their death wasn't real. But Caroline knew that couldn't happen. Life happens, in unfair and surprising ways. No matter what, there are just some things that cannot be reversed. Death was one of those things.

"I'm gonna go find Stefan, okay?" Caroline excused herself. Klaus had wandered off somewhere, Caroline figured she'd find him eventually. She was making her way through the dark house, using the candles as a pathway to help guide her. In another room, she heard someone crying. Caroline saw Elena buried in Jeremy's chest, her younger brother holding her closely. Jeremy was whispering something to her, but Caroline did not feel it was right to listen in on their conversation. Jeremy looked up at Caroline as she quietly walked passed the room, smiling at her. She waved back and smiled, thinking how nice it would be to have the person you missed the most come back for you. It seemed like everyone who'd lost someone was coming back. Caroline couldn't help but wish that her father would visit her, but she knew deep down that would never happen. Her father did not turn before dying, and therefore was not supernatural.

* * *

Klaus would have walked into him had he not said something. He recognized the voice of his younger brother, but that still did not hide the surprise in his voice.

"Kol," Klaus shocked to see him. He'd watched his burnt corpse lay still on the Gilbert kitchen floor. He never imagined that he'd be able to see his little brother again, to apologize for the way they ended things.

"Hello Niklaus, I take it you're surprised," Kol said as he embraced his brother. Klaus was at this point very confused. He was certain that Kol hated him for thinking that he was okay with Jeremy Gilbert killing him. He returned the embrace, thankful to have another chance to make things right with his brother.

"It's funny, how things work. Gotta love the supernatural."

"Indeed," Klaus nodded as they walked side by side through the Salvatore mansion. "Kol, you know more about Silas than any of us. Can you help stop him?"

"I can try, but I'm afraid there's not much I can do from my side," he admitted, "but we'll try Niklaus."

Klaus stopped his brother before they walked into the Salvatore library. There was something he wanted to say to him, "Kol, I'm sorry for everything. I wish things ended up differently."

"Me too brother," Kol sighed, "me too."

* * *

She finally arrived at the library, noticing the familiar voices. The fire was lit, brightening up the room enough to see everyone's faces clearly. Caroline stood next to Klaus quietly as she watched the scene unraveling in front of her. She was surprised to see more familiar faces surfacing. Klaus looked at her and smiled softly before turning back towards a very heated discussion between Damon, Alaric, Kol, Bonnie, and her Grams.

"Please tell me how the hell we are supposed to do that, Rick!" Damon said. "I mean how are you even here, I watched you die!"

"Okay Damon, can you just calm down for one second and actually listen to what I'm trying to say?" Rick said. Damon and Alaric together again, it was a nice scene.

"I have a plan, we just have to work together now," Grams intervened.

"Look Grandma Bennet, maybe you wanna focus on controlling dear Bonnie Bennet before worrying about me. She's the one who started all of this Silas stuff!" Damon retorted.

"Hey! You know that this is Silas's fault Damon," Bonnie defended herself.

"If only you all had listened to me, instead of helping the hunter finish his mark and, well, kill me!" Kol responded.

"Well maybe if you told us a little more about psycho Silas, we would have listened," Damon taunted.

"What's your plan?" Caroline decided it was time for her to say something. They didn't have much time, and arguing surely wasn't going to help. They all turned to look at her, taken aback that she was even in the room with them.

"Caroline," Rick said slowly.

"It's time you got here blondie, what is he doing here?" Damon asked curiously.

"Hey Rick," Caroline smiled awkwardly. The last time she'd seen him was when he was in Evilaric mode, sticking pencils in her hands and gagging her with vervain ropes. "And Damon, Klaus is here to help us okay? We're all on on the same team now, we're all trying to stop Silas."

"Klaus wants in on Team Good Guys, huh?" Damon said as he walked closer to Klaus.

"I want to stop Silas from unleashing hell on earth. Call it what you want, but she's right, we need to work together," Klaus tried to keep calm. He did not like Damon Salvatore, he did not like the way he treated Caroline or the way he paraded himself around town.

"We all on the same page here now?" Caroline tried to buffer the tension between Damon and Klaus. The last thing she wanted was for Klaus to find out about what Damon did to her. That wouldn't have a good ending, she knew that much. "Good. The twelve witches that I…killed. They found me, and told me that we had to stop Silas. Can you help Mrs. Bennet?"

"Child, I can most certainly try," Grams said. They had spent hours trying to look through spell books and hypothesize ways to take down the immortal being. At some point, Elena, Jeremy, Matt, and Vicki made their way to the library to help out. Before Stefan and Lexi sat down to help, he motioned for Caroline to come outside with them for a second. Klaus watched quietly as Caroline left his side and out with Stefan and this mysterious blond.

"Caroline, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Lexi," Stefan said with a big smile on his face. Lexi stood next to Stefan, also smiling widely. Her long blond hair was straight, hitting her waist. She was wearing a black leather jacket, dark jeans, and black boots. It was crazy to think, but Caroline could see a lot of herself in Lexi.

"Hi! I don't know how this is all possible, but it's so nice to finally be able to meet you! The way Stefan talks about you, I swear you're like famous or something," Caroline greeted her.

Lexi laughed, "Are you kidding me, I've been waiting to thank the girl who's been there for this guy. Seriously, thank you. I'm really glad you guys are friends."

Caroline couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Stefan this happy, "He smiles!"

He laughed back teasingly, "I'm just glad to have my two best friends in one room together. There's been too much negativity lately. This is nice."

"This series of unfortunate events seems to never end, Stefan. We should probably get in there though, help out and all," Lexi joked. The three of them returned to a very busy library. Lexi started going at it with Damon, and Stefan and Caroline went to help out Klaus and Bonnie, who were talking about a potential spell that could be used to immobilize Silas. It was such a strange scene, everyone working together for once. Even Elijah and Rebekah came over to offer their services. There were books scattered everywhere, town maps laid on the tables, candles burning all around.

It was getting late, and everyone was beginning to get restless. Damon and Klaus were really not working well together, and Stefan kept having to break up their arguments. Before the others started going after each other also, they agreed to have a break from the plotting. Matt, Vicki, Elena, Jeremy, Bonnie, and Rebekah all decided to go to the Grill and pick up food and a lot of alcohol to get through the night. Damon, Stefan, Elijah, Lexi, and Rick were talking about raiding the hospital for some blood bags since they were running low and would probably need their strength for this scheme. Caroline had decided to stay back, feeling too tired and to be quite honest, not in the mood to have her life put on the line yet again. Klaus didn't want to let Caroline out of his sight, not while his enemies were out there plotting to kill her to get to him.

Before they were all set to leave, Rick asked Caroline awkwardly, "Hey can we talk for a second?"

She raised her eyebrows curiously, "Um, yeah, sure." They walked off to the side, away from everyone else, who was too busy planning how to get in to the hospital.

"So I just wanted to say how sorry I am for…torturing you like that. I wasn't myself, and I know that you didn't deserve that," Rick said wholeheartedly.

"You were Evilaric. I knew that wasn't you, it's okay."

"Thanks Caroline, really."

"Don't worry about it, Rick. Tell you what, make it up to me and get me some B positive, yeah?" Caroline joked back.

Rick laughed as he walked back towards Damon and them, "You got it, Care."

Once everyone left, it was just Klaus and Caroline left in the dark and empty mansion. Bonnie's Grams had returned to the other side to get some help from some of her witch friends. Klaus turned to Caroline, "Someone's popular today."

"Oh please, you should see me at school," Caroline teased back, causing Klaus to smile. He'd seem to be doing a lot more of that lately, smiling. "No, but seriously, Rick was just apologizing for kidnapping me all those months ago."

"That seems like ages ago," Klaus walked up to Caroline as he remembered how he'd saved her in the hallway, assured her that she'd be okay and told her to go straight home.

"You saved me that day, sort of," Caroline revealed. She didn't know why she brought that up, but they never talked about it after it happened. It was getting harder to avoid his gaze, so gravitating to look at him. She decided the best way to escape this trance was to keep busy by cleaning up the mess in the library. Klaus watched as she began straightening papers and shelving unused books. He concluded that she liked to keep busy, whether it meant cleaning after others or taking care of people.

"I remember," he said as took the heavy books from her hands and shelved them in the rows above that she couldn't reach. Klaus was just about to place the last book on the shelf when they felt someone's presence from behind.

"That was also the day they tried to kill you Niklaus," a man's voice said hatefully. Klaus knew immediately who he was, turning around slowly to meet his father. Caroline watched Klaus, for she knew about their abusive relationship and the effect his father had on him.

"Father," Klaus spat out through his stiff jaw.

Mikael walked closer to his son, taking notice of Caroline watching them both nervously, "Niklaus, are you going to introduce me?"

Klaus swallowed loudly before he gathered himself to speak. He didn't want to look weak in front of his father, "Caroline this is my father, Mikael."

"Caroline, such a pretty name," Mikael smiled disturbingly. Caroline smiled back mockingly, she wasn't afraid of him.

"What do you want?" Klaus sneered.

Mikael scoffed back, "Well boy, I just thought I'd congratulate you on actually managing to find someone who doesn't hate you!" He turned to Caroline, "Please tell me how you stand to tolerate him. I know I could never."

Caroline was astonished to say the least, to find how cruel Mikael was to his own son. It surely explained a lot of his issues. She turned to look at Klaus, who was trying his hardest to keep calm. She could have sworn his eyes were about to water.

"But I wouldn't be surprised if she and all these people turn their backs on you in the end. People tend to do that to you, don't they boy? No one will love you, no one ever has. You will fail, and I can't wait to see it happen."

Caroline had heard enough, "Stop. You wanna know the reason why he's so messed up? It's because of you! You never loved him, you bullied him, it's no wonder he's like this. This is your fault."

"Oh is it?" Mikael retorted.

"Yeah, it is. You couldn't keep your marriage together, your wife slept with someone else, and you couldn't deal with it. That is not his fault, it's your's and his mom's. And you are wrong, people do care about him. People do believe in him," Caroline finished, leaving the room incredibly quiet.

"You're a brave one, aren't you? Not afraid to speak your mind I see," Mikael said after a few moments. "Niklaus I can see why you enjoy her so much, she's a challenge, this one."

"Just leave, you're not wanted here," Klaus finally spoke. Mikael looked at his son for what seemed like the longest five seconds, and disappeared. Klaus stood there, in shock of what just happened. Caroline turned to look at him, but he did not reciprocate the motion.

"Hey," she put her hands on the sides of his face, forcing him to look down at her, "screw him, okay?"

Klaus instantly felt reassured, just by her gentle embrace, and her witty saying, "Yeah." He hated that man, with all of his heart. There used to be a time when he wished for his father's love, for his acceptance. But that feeling was long gone. Now all he felt was hatred for Mikael, resentment for the weak and bitter man he'd forced Klaus to become.

She tilted her head, eyes roaming the different parts of his stubbled face before landing back at those beautiful blue-green eyes, "He was wrong. About everything. I care about you. I am rooting for you. Believe that, okay?"

Klaus was trying his best not to break down in front of her, and she knew that. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. His arms found their way around her waist and he pulled her closer, burying his head in her soft blond hair. Despite the fact that they didn't know each other for that long a time, it was safe to say that they knew each other very well. Klaus appreciated that Caroline didn't hover, that she didn't make him feel any weaker than he already felt. She was exactly what he needed at that moment: someone to be there for him in his darkest hour.

"Thank you," he whispered as they both stood consumed in each other's embrace by the crackling fire that was still ablaze.

* * *

**This chapter was a little shorter than some others, I think because there is a lot more dialogue and less reflective paragraphs. Changing it up a bit :) Let me know how you guys are liking it! It was a blast to bring back all of our beloved characters. Review/Favorite/Follow! And to the guests who are reviewing, I promise I am reading them. I've gotten some of the sweetest comments, I want you to know that I appreciate every single one. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Oh my, it's really been a month since I've updated. Thank you to all my followers who have continuously supported me with this story. Your reviews keep encouraging me to do this. I was finishing up with school, and all my finals and SATs and ACTs and stuff. Plus I was travelling, so there was no time to sit down and write some quality fanfiction. But nonetheless, thanks to all of you for keeping me going. But FINALLY I have concluded this Silas stuff and basically season 4, in my own way. I hope you enjoy chapter 8 :) Hit me up on Tumblr: escapetoanotherplace **

_Playlist: Be Still My Heart by Peter Bradley Adams, All My Fault by Josh Auer, Walcott by Vampire Weekend, Chasing The Light by Matt Kearney, Eyeoneye by Andrew Bird, Otherside by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Walking Blind by Aidan Hawken, Wait It Out by Imogen Heap, Towers by Bon Iver, The Story I Heard by Blind Pilot, Come Around by Rosi Golan, Take Your Time by The Cary Brothers_

* * *

Everyone was soon satisfied with their share of blood, food, and liquor, so they proceeded with the planning. After searching through Bonnie's grimoires, it was Rebekah who'd found the spell to take down Silas. It was going to take a lot of magic; surely Bonnie would have to channel as much expression energy as she could to perform this spell. The plan seemed simple enough: lure Silas into the caves and then Bonnie would turn him back into stone.

"It seems too easy, _something _is going to go wrong. Something always goes wrong," Elena said to the group.

"Well that's where the backup plan comes in," Damon assured her, "Bonnie's Grams will be there to help her. And since she's on the other side, Silas can't physically harm her. Well, not permanently anyways."

Caroline didn't like the idea of burdening Bonnie with the task of finally taking down Silas, not by herself. Surely in order to take down the all powerful immortal, they were going to need all the muscle they had. "Just to be sure, I think it would be safe to have us there to help. You never know if you're gonna need physical man power."

"That could be useful, to have hard-to-kill vampires on the spot in case something does go wrong," Bonnie agreed. Elena also shared the same concerns. It seemed that Elena had finally turned on her humanity. And it was about time, the last thing everyone needed right now was to be worrying about reckless Elena.

Klaus watched Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie strategically plan where everyone would be when it came time for the attack. He knew her track record for being in danger, despite her vampire capabilities. Somehow, Caroline Forbes was always on the verge of death when it came to these situations.

He intervened with the girls' suggestions, "In this circle of people, I'd say it's quite easy to stake a vampire these days. Don't you think it would be a bit smarter to have, say, an original vampire stand guard?"

"For once, I think I'm gonna have to agree with the bastard, let the originals handle the physicality," Damon said quite condescendingly.

"That's actually better, I won't have to worry about keeping you all safe," Bonnie concluded.

Klaus tried his best to keep his cool after Damon's insult. He knew that Damon was trying to keep Elena safe, just as Klaus was with Caroline. He took note of her distrustful expression, knowing she wouldn't agree to this plan so soon. It would take a lot of convincing to get her to agree to stand down and let him handle it. It was one of the things he greatly admired in her, her ability to take action when it concerned her friends and family. She was loyal, and did whatever she could to help when she saw necessary. But right now, there was no way he was going to take a chance with her near Silas. Not when she'd already come so close just days before. Silas knew Klaus's weakness was Caroline, so if they were going to end this once and for all, she needed to be far, far away.

Caroline was shocked that Bonnie would agree to have the Originals fight among her. After seeing what went down with the last sacrifice, there was no way Caroline was going to let Klaus help. If it came to choosing between Bonnie's life and taking down Silas, she knew who he would choose. And Rebekah, how could she trust that she wouldn't go looting for the cure and then just abandon them all? No matter how close she'd gotten to the Original family, she couldn't trust them with Bonnie's life. To them, she didn't really matter, someone easily replaceable. The gang was winding up, finalizing the last details. Caroline decided that she'd talk to Klaus later, make him promise her that his intentions were right.

The sun was fully up by now, and as stereotypical as it may have seemed, it was time for everyone to rest. For once, a plan seemed to meet everyone's expectations. They all knew what they had to do, and where they had to be when this all went down. The ghosts were still with the living, and so everyone took the opportunity to spend some quality time with their loved one. Elena went off with Jeremy, Matt with Vicki, Bonnie with her Grams, Damon with Alaric, Stefan with Lexi, Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus with Kol.

Caroline slipped out the door, trying not to disturb anyone as she made her way to her car. It was a long day, and she needed a shower. She couldn't be more happy for everyone who was reunited with their lost one, really. But right now, the last thing she wanted was to be around them. Caroline was alone, and she didn't need to be reminded of that. Despite her mother being alive, she was always working, always away. She began reversing from the driveway, but slammed on her brakes when he appeared behind the car.

"What the hell Klaus!" Caroline yelled, pushing her car door open.

"There happens to be an immortal killer on the loose, and I'm wondering why you're wandering off alone," he teased.

"Oh, you mean you?" Caroline mocked as she pushed at his chest lightly.

He was laughing at her, admiring how lovely she was when she was annoyed at him, "I'm sorry, love."

She couldn't be upset with him after seeing him so happy. His laughter had a way of reassuring her doubts in him. She smiled because he smiled, "And what can I do for you, Mr. Original vampire who can't be killed?"

"Ahh, there it is. Look I know you want to be there and help when this Silas thing goes down, but I can't take any risks. It would be a whole lot easier to focus on him rather on saving your life, too." He looked at her with those puppy dog eyes he knew she couldn't refuse. Soon her adamant pout transformed into an annoyed smile as she rolled her eyes at him in defeat.

"Fine. But promise me that you will actually protect Bonnie and help her! No harassing her, no torture, no evil-Klaus moves. Do I make myself clear?" Caroline pointed at his chest.

He looked down at her, arms raised in surrender, "Absolutely."

Caroline looked into those eyes, those beautiful blue-green eyes, and her worries drifted away. She took a deep breath and decided to put her faith in him. "You should go, spend sometime with your family. You don't know how much time you have left with him."

Klaus turned in the direction of the Salvatore mansion, his brother waiting inside. So many things he wanted to say to Kol, too little time. "Yeah, I think I will. But hey, you gonna be okay?" He knew she didn't have anyone to be with right now, and her mother was probably working. The last thing he wanted was for Caroline to be by herself.

"Yup, I'm gonna go home, shower, relax, maybe even start on my graduation announcements. I've got plenty of stuff to keep me busy, so seriously, go. Please don't worry about me," she assured.

All Klaus had been doing lately was worrying about Caroline, so it was impossible for her to ask otherwise. He didn't like the idea of her being by herself. But he knew she would object to any form of protection. So he convinced himself that as long as she was home, inside with the doors locked, she would be safe. And he'd surely come and check on her later. "Fine, but let me know when you're home. Stay inside, there's a psychopath on the loose."

"Yes sir," nodding her head playfully.

Klaus held the door open for her, "Then you may leave, Miss Forbes."

Rolling her eyes at him, she waved him goodbye as he closed her door, "I'll call you later."

He watched her drive off, content with the way things were going with them. He desperately craved her company, wished for her laughter, that genuine smile. He knew she was someone special, someone who had a way with him that no one else had ever possessed. For quite some time now, Klaus had been in denial to admitting such feelings for her, but there was no pretending anymore. He'd tried to rid her presence in his life once, but couldn't go through with it. He was absolutely, most certainly falling in love with Caroline Forbes. If love was a vampire's greatest weakness, then so be it.

* * *

She'd done as Klaus had asked her. Caroline quickly parked her car, went inside her empty home, and locked the door behind her. Peace at last. She retrieved her phone from her back pocket and texted him that she was okay. _I'm home, doors locked. Off to the shower I go!_

She left her phone on her bed as she walked to her vanity. Her mascara was beginning to smudge, her hair was flat, and she had dark circles under her eyes. It was certain that she needed a good night's rest, away from the drama and the danger. The phone buzzed, it was probably Klaus.

_Lovely, take care sweetheart ;) _

Caroline could imagine Klaus smirking at this moment. _You too, be nice to Kol! _

Quickly, another message appeared: _I'll try my best, love. _

Now that Klaus was taken care of, Caroline could enjoy some alone time. She spent a good half hour in the shower, taking her time massaging the shampoo in her scalp, exfoliating her skin, conditioning her hair. By the time she was out, it was mid morning and she should have been starting her day. Instead, she applied lotion to her body, changed into some leggings and tank top and hopped into bed. Her bed was comforting, it was familiar, and it felt like home-something she hadn't felt in a long time. Caroline allowed sleep to consume her.

The sun was beginning to set when Caroline woke up from her nap. She explored her empty house, not surprised to see her mother's room abandoned. After grabbing a cup of blood, she made her way to the living room where her graduation announcements stood. She had mentally compiled a list of the people she would be inviting to her big day. It seemed like everyone had forgotten about graduation, about ending their adolescence and beginning a new chapter in their lives. I guess they had reason to forget, what with everything that's happened in the last two years. But for Caroline, graduation was one of the few things that was keeping her grounded with everything going on. She hoped that by graduating, she'd be able to leave this chaotic, on-the-verge-of-death part of her life behind her. She hoped to go to college somewhere with her best friends, to explore the world and experience new adventures, to just live her life peacefully. But lately, these hopes were far from becoming a reality.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she began to write out the names on her cards. She had a few relatives from her dad's side who lived in Seattle, and her friends in the various committees she'd grown up participating in. Then there was him, her new…_friend_. This man that had managed to show Caroline that there was a lot gray in between the black and white. A man whom she once hated, now a man that she's befriended. A man who has changed so much already, for her sake. The man that chose her first, and continually choose her despite all her attempts to push him away. It was for this man, this version of him that she wrote his name on the invitation. This man, she enjoyed. This man, she admitted, was a man she could one day love.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her front door open. Tilting her head towards the door, Caroline saw that it was her mother. _What is she doing home? _Caroline thought.

Caroline greeted, "Hey Mom, you're home early."

"Yeah, there wasn't much to do at the station today, so I thought I'd come home early and relax," her mother kissed Caroline on top of her head before walking towards her room.

"I'm glad you're here, let me know if you want me to fix you something to eat, okay?" she asked over her shoulder.

"I'm alright, honey. I grabbed a late lunch with Bonnie's dad, but maybe later," she smiled, closing her bedroom door after her.

Caroline finished writing up all her announcements, sealing the envelopes shut, carefully placing mailing labels on each one. She headed for her mailbox, stuffing the handful of envelopes in the cubby before closing the flap and pulling up the red flag. When she locked her front door behind her again, she walked towards her kitchen, surprised to see her mother making a sandwich. She furrowed her brows, confused as to why her mom was eating when she deliberately told her that she wasn't hungry.

"Caroline, I'm just making myself something to eat, want anything?" her mom asked.

"Uhh," Caroline was hesitant, "no I'm okay."

"Good, so what have you guys come up with to take down Silas?" The Sheriff was putting away all of the ingredients in their fridge. Caroline had an upsetting feeling about her mother's presence. There was something that wasn't right. Five minutes ago, she was off to her bedroom, and now she was up and about making a sandwich. Normally her mom would see how she was doing and at least attempt to be motherly before cutting to the chase. Especially lately, Sheriff Forbes had really been trying to connect with Caroline.

"I don't know yet, the plan is still kind up in the air right now," Caroline lied.

But her mother didn't stop with the questioning, "Well you guys must have something right? Tell me what you have so far."

Now Caroline knew there was something weird going on, but she tried to play it cool, "Uh you know, Bonnie's gonna do something witchy and Damon and Stefan still want the cure for Elena so nobody can agree on anything." Nothing her mom didn't already know, or anyone else for the matter.

"What spell is Bonnie going to do, Caroline?" Her mother wore a very serious expression, lips pressed together in a tight line as she walked closer to a very nervous Caroline.

"I don't know, Mom. Ask her?" Caroline tried to sound confident as this woman was approaching her. She may look Liz Forbes, but Caroline was pretty confident that this was not her mother. She was, in fact, pretty sure who this person was. And she was terrified that he was in her house. Caroline tried to brush her off and walk towards her room calmly. On the way, she texted Klaus as fast as she could, trying to hide her phone from her mom. _SOS, my house now! _

"Wait Caroline," and suddenly her mother was in front of her, "Where will Stefan, Damon, and Elena be? What about Niklaus and his siblings?"

Right there Caroline knew this was Silas. Her mom wouldn't call Klaus by his full name, and she most certainly wouldn't hover this closely. Caroline hoped to god that he checked his messages soon and was on his way. She knew she would have to say something to Silas so he wouldn't get suspicious. If Caroline could distract him for a while, maybe Klaus and the others could come and this could finally be over. "I don't know Mom, like I said, nothing's set in stone yet. But hey, I finished my graduation announcements today!" Caroline avoided his stare, trying to walk away from him. But instead, she found herself slammed into the wall.

"I honestly don't care about your graduation announcements Caroline," Silas began, "I care about what you and your friends are planning to do about me."

"Silas," Caroline managed to get out through his attempts at choking her. She struggled to breath, but gathered enough strength to retort, "What's your deal with me anyways?"

This seemed to surprise him, and so he loosened his grip on her throat, "Pardon me?"

"You attacked me and appeared as Klaus, and now you're using me again, why?" Caroline was trying to keep him busy. She wasn't sure if he was just possessing her mother's body, or if she was somewhere else. She hoped to god that she was safe and that Silas hadn't harmed her.

"Let's just say that you, Caroline, are a very easy target for me," Silas answered. "Damon and Elena are busy fawning over beloved Elena, Bonnie is off experimenting with expression, and it seems that Niklaus is quite enamored with you." Silas transformed himself into Klaus, and began to whisper into her ear, "Niklaus had the cure, I wanted it. Now, they're all busy with their loved ones, and here you are. Alone." Now he changed into Stefan, "It's like you were waiting for me to arrive, Caroline, honestly." Silas had transformed into a different person now, a person she'd never seen. A truly monstrous creature, with a distorted face with evil in his eyes.

"This is your real body?" Caroline half whispered, half moaned through his tight grip. She was still pinned to the wall, no opportunity to get away.

"Qetsiyah's gift to me," Silas responded sternly.

"No wonder you hide like a coward," Caroline retorted.

Silas tightened his grip around her throat and managed to stake her through the stomach. Caroline cried out in pain, but she was tired of being the victim. She spit in his face, but it only drove the stake closer towards her heart. She started to feel dizzy and began to slip in and out of consciousness. Silas let her drop towards the ground, and Caroline toppled over to her side. He was laughing at her, at her pathetic attempts to stay awake.

Suddenly his laughter turned into coughing, and then choking. Caroline heard her door slam open, Bonnie chanting some sort of spell that was incapacitating him. She heard voices; it was Stefan, Klaus, and even Damon. Klaus was swearing away at Silas, Caroline even heard Stefan and Damon slip a few times. Silas's screams were becoming moans, and after a minute, silence. She didn't know what was going on, all she felt was the pain in her stomach subside.

"Caroline?" she heard Klaus's voice, "Caroline, where are you?" He found her laying by the wall next to her room. She was gathering her strength, as he came to her side. "What happened, love? Did he hurt you, are you alright?"

She looked up at him, blinking a few times before regaining full consciousness. Klaus brushed away the hair that was in the way, resting his hands on the sides of her face.

"Silas," Caroline started, "he staked me." She looked down at her stomach, but there was nothing there but the smoothness of her clean, white tank top. "He was in my head."

Klaus helped her up to her feet, "I know, we put him down. He's gone now."

"He came into my house, as my mother," Caroline realized. She suddenly broke away from him and darted to her mother's room. Across the bed lay Liz Forbes, completely unconscious. Caroline began violently shaking her mother, screaming her name.

"Mom! Mom, get up! You have to get up, please. I need you, Mom!" she pushed away the tears and bit into her wrist, forcing her blood down her mother's throat. Her mom didn't wake up, and Caroline didn't know what to do.

Klaus found her beside her mother, crying next to a still, almost lifeless body. At the cost of Silas, Caroline's mother had suffered. He knew he shouldn't have let her out of his sight earlier that day. He couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that went down tonight. She looked up at him, desperate for an answer. He walked over to her Caroline and knelt beside her, wiping away the tears from her eyes, "Let me try, okay?" Caroline nodded as Klaus stood and hovered over the Sheriff. Biting into his own wrist, he pressed it into her still mouth.

Suddenly, the Sheriff began violently coughing. Caroline jumped up, shocked that her mother was awake. She was certain that she was in denial, that she had truly lost her mother. "Mom! Oh my god, you're okay. You're okay," she kept chanting, partly to comfort herself. Klaus put his hand on her shoulder, subtly telling her that he'd wait outside.

"Caroline, what happened?" her mother asked innocently.

"Silas must have attacked you earlier, but it's fine now. We're all gonna be fine," Caroline hugged her mother closely. "We're fine."

Klaus made his way to the living room where Silas's body lay in stone. Stefan and Damon were lifting him into a body bag, planning on dumping it in a safe and letting it sink to the bottom of the lake.

"Hey, is Liz alright?" Damon asked Klaus. It seemed that he was actually concerned for Caroline's mother.

"Yeah, I fed her my blood. She seems to be fine now," Klaus responded.

"Her mom needed blood?" Bonnie was concerned.

Stefan was shaking his head, "God I feel terrible leaving Caroline here all alone. I was so busy with Lexi that I didn't even notice she was gone."

"We all did, mate," Klaus also felt guilty for easily letting her go. There was so much more he could have done to stop her. Of course Silas didn't fall under the rules of needing to be invited into a house. How stupid of him for assuming otherwise.

Caroline closed her mother's door, letting her rest for sometime. Making her way into the living room, she smiled at all of them who were watching anxiously, "Thanks for coming guys."

Bonnie hugged Caroline closely, "I'm so glad you and your mom are okay."

"Thanks Bonnie, are you okay? That spell must have seriously hurt, you should rest up too!" Caroline couldn't help but worry about her best friend.

"Care, really, I'm okay."

Stefan came up next to hug Caroline, "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you."

Caroline knew how badly Stefan was feeling. These past few months, Stefan had become like a brother to her. They'd grown closer, and had solidified their loosely defined friendship. She told him, "It's okay, I forgive you."

Sitting on one of the living room couches, Caroline saw Doctor Fell. She rose from her seat, and walked towards Caroline, "Hey, they called and told me what happened. Mind if I check on her?"

Caroline shook her head, "Not at all, please go right ahead. Let me know if there's anything wrong." She opened the door to her mother's room, gesturing for the doctor to go inside.

Damon was still bagging up Silas, but he turned towards Caroline and genuinely asked, "Hey blondie, you alright?"

Of course, it wouldn't be right if Damon didn't add in the pet name. Any other time she would have been annoyed, but tonight it comforted her to know that some things were still the same. She smiled softly, "Yeah, thanks for taking care of all this."

He nodded at her kindly, before he and Stefan lifted the solid stone body towards their car. She walked out with all of them, taking note of Klaus's close proximity. Caroline could tell that he also felt bad for letting her go earlier, but she wanted to tell him that it wasn't her fault. No one was really safe in this town, ever. Danger was just a part of being a vampire in this town, or even begin associated with one.

She said her goodbyes to Stefan, Damon, and Bonnie, insisting that she was fine. Klaus assured them that he would make sure she was okay, but that didn't convince Bonnie. But still, as much as she hated to admit, the expression had made her weary, and so Bonnie agreed and left with the brothers.

By the time she went back in, Doctor Fell was finished with her prognosis. She advised Caroline that Sheriff Forbes stay with her tonight, just for safety reasons. As much as Caroline didn't want to listen, she knew the doctor was probably right. Klaus agreed, too, helping to carry her mom into the doctor's car. Doctor Fell said she'd take care of her, and even asked Klaus for extra blood just in case. Her methods of medicine were a little different, but Caroline trusted that she'd keep her mom safe. After sending them off, it was just Klaus and Caroline and a very empty house.

Klaus followed Caroline to her bedroom, where they sat in silence for a few minutes. He wrapped his arm around her, and she buried her face in his chest. He kicked off his shoes, and laid back onto her bed, still holding Caroline. Quickly, he leaned over to turn off her light. Pulling her covers over the both of them, Caroline held onto him closer. There was something about them, knowing exactly what to do when. No words necessary, all they needed was each other. To know that the other was there. To feel that reassurance, that comfort, that safety.

* * *

**There it is! Review and tell me what you think ;) I don't know about you, but I'm so glad season 4 is over, I didn't really like it too much compared to the other seasons. Although I do have to say that the Klaroline development was done quite nicely. They didn't rush anything or go out of character for either of them, which I appreciate. I am NOT a fan of the Klayley baby, but I do have faith that this is not the end for Klaroline. I will watch The Originals, and hope that Julie Plec doesn't screw us over. Again. Thanks for the favs/follows/reviews! Keep them coming :) Have a lovely day!**

**P.S. Chapter 9 will be post season 4, what I hope to happen at least. I gotta throw in graduation, but it's still looking like summer in Mystic Falls :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Long time, no see! Okay so it's not that I haven't been writing or thinking of ideas. I've been traveling all over the place this summer, and I haven't always had time to just sit and write. And then I was also going through Klaroline withdrawls. I started doubting myself and the point of writing for a while. But then I'd get follows or favorites or reviews, and then I'd snap back into reality. I love writing, and I love Klaroline. Thanks for restoring the faith in me readers! Enjoy chapter 9, the last of the actual show plot :) Tumblr: escapetoanotherplace**

_Playlist: The Heart Of Life by John Mayer, Closer by Travis, Prince Of Nothing Charming by Tyler Hilton, Broken by Lifehouse, Gone Away by Safetysuit, Can't Help Falling In Love With You by Ingrid Michaelson, Towers by Bon Iver, Violet Hill by Coldplay, The Violet Hour by Sea Wolf, The Mixed Tape by Jack's Mannequin, Dream by The Boxer Rebellion, Bloody Nose by Earlimart, Life Is Beautiful by Vega 4, In My Veins by Andrew Belle_

* * *

Bright and early, the effervescent sunlight peaked through the windows in Caroline's room. She tossed around her empty bed and found herself reliving that morning all those days ago.

There she lay, on her side, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. One around her waist, the other below her neck. Both of them fast asleep, breathing harmoniously. It had been a while since the both of them had truly had a proper nights sleep, and for some reason, sleeping together made it all the better.

But all good things must eventually come to an end. A phone began to ring, vibrating loudly against the nightstand. Klaus was beginning to shift, Caroline groaning at the annoyance. Finally, he couldn't stand the ringing, "Caroline, your phone."

She was way too tired to move, and to be quite honest, very comfortable in his arms, "Pick it up."

Klaus was already falling back asleep, burying his head deeper into her soft blond hair, "You pick it up."

The phone finally stopped ringing, and Caroline mumbled, "They can leave a message." And just like that, they were sound asleep once again.

Caroline shook her head, pushing the memories away. She was going to focus on today. Today was graduation, today was the day that she would say goodbye to her adolescence and start a new chapter in her life. She sat up, brushed away the hair in her face, and hopped out of bed.

By the time she was finished with her shower, she sighed a little as she walked into her barren closet. Hanging on the nearly emptied rack was the dress she'd selected for her graduation along with her cap and gown. Most of her other clothes and shoes were already packed away in her trunk. She changed quickly and headed for her vanity to apply her makeup and curl her hair. When she was done, she packed up some last minute items she might find herself needing on the road. No matter how much she had racked her brains, there was still something she felt like she was missing. Of course she knew what was bothering her the most, but she couldn't bring herself to face them all. How could she tell her friends that she was leaving Mystic Falls? Caroline settled on writing them all a note. It was cowardly, that she knew. But this trip was for her, and they would have to understand that.

_Dear Everyone, _

_If you're reading this, that must mean I actually went through with it. It's been a long time coming, but I just had to do it. I just had to leave Mystic Falls. A lot of really, really bad stuff has happened to me these past two years, a lot of stuff that I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone about. I know that's nobody's fault but mine. But still, it's been building up inside for a while now and I just can't handle it anymore. I've given a lot of thought about who I am, and who I want to be. I still don't know the answer to either of those. I really hope that getting away from this life will give me some peace and time to think. There are a lot of questions I've been struggling to answer. I don't know what I feel anymore, I don't know what I want. And so I'm leaving to figure it out. I don't know how long I'll be gone for, or where I'm even going. But I do know that I love you all, so much. I hope you understand why I'm doing this, but I promise that this isn't goodbye. _

_Love, Caroline_

Caroline left the note on her bed, and found herself leaning on her door frame. She looked around her bedroom, feeling nostalgic about the many memories she'd made in there. She'd done a lot of growing up in this house. But like graduation, there was an inevitable end to this chapter in her life, too. She wasn't the little ballerina who practiced standing on her tippy toes in front of the mirror anymore. She wasn't the cheerleader who choreographed routines in her backyard, or the little master chef who entered in baking competitions anymore. She wasn't human anymore. Of course she still had her humanity, but it was time she stopped pretending that those things were still a part of her life. She would never age, she would never start a family of her own where her children could make memories of their own like she once had. She needed to figure out what she wanted, what she was going to do with her immortal life. One last glance, and Caroline turned away from her bedroom, cap and gown in hand.

She drove to school in silence, remembering later events of that morning.

When Caroline truly awoke, she found his arms wrapped around her. At first, she didn't think too much of it, it was just Klaus. But then, the panic hit. _It was just Klaus. _She was so casual about him being in her bed, spooning her! Caroline couldn't believe that how comfortable she felt around him, and frankly, it scared the hell out of her. They had been through so much together in the past week, yes. But the pace at which their relationship was moving was too fast. There was a part of her that wanted to accept him, accept the comfort and the safety that she felt around him. But that part of her was not ready to surface completely.

Klaus was beginning to shuffle around in her bed, loosening his grip around her waist. She turned to look at him, and there he lay smiling at her like there wasn't a problem in the world.

"Oh my god," Caroline stared wide eyed at him. Klaus just gave her a puzzled look, not able to understand what she was so frazzled about.

"You're in my bed," she stated, "oh my god!" And suddenly she sprung out of her bed, and began pacing her room.

Klaus, of course, was utterly confused about what she was freaking out about, "Caroline you asked me to stay last night, remember?"

Caroline thought back to the events of last night. Silas posing as her mother, attacking Caroline and then attacking her mother. She was scared, and alone, and she did ask Klaus to stay. Shaking her head, "Well yeah, but still. I think you should go."

Klaus, wide-eyed and very confused, did not move from her bed, "Caroline…"

"Now!" Caroline almost screamed at him as she pointed towards her door. Klaus thought it best to giver her what she wanted. He didn't think too much of it at first, assuming that she was probably not much of a morning person. As his hand reached the door knob, he turned around to look at Caroline one last time. She wasn't even looking at him, trying her best to avoid his eyes. Furrowing his brows, he shook his head as he left her house.

Caroline had arrived at her high school, and began walking towards the designated meeting spot she'd told everyone to meet at. Matt and Bonnie were already waiting there, greeting her with open arms.

"Caroline! You look great!" Bonnie's arms wrapped around her. It was nice to be around her friends, alone from all the chaos before she left.

"Why thank you, looking pretty hot yourself!" she responded.

Matt wrapped his arm around Caroline's shoulder tightly, "You've outdone yourself, Care. All the weeks of preparation for today, it was all worth it."

Caroline smiled back at him, "Thanks Matt. Hey, speaking of. I'm really proud of you for getting here today. Seriously, it wouldn't have been the same without you."

"Thanks for all the help, really," he smiled. Stefan and Elena came then and it was starting to feel like graduation. Everyone was here, the gang that started high school together. Of course there were new faced to their group, and some who couldn't be there with them today. But nonetheless, there would be graduates from Mystic Falls High today.

"You guys, we're all here. We're really here!" Caroline couldn't help but squeal, "Group hug!"

Stefan tried to suppress a laugh, "Yeah, I don't do hugs."

"Well too bad," they all said, embracing each other in a big group hug. Elena got her humanity back, Bonnie was done with the expression fiasco, Matt graduated, Stefan wasn't a ripper anymore. Caroline felt more confident that her leaving wouldn't be so bad on the group after all. The group decided it was time to make their way towards the stadium, in time for them to take their last step as high school seniors.

* * *

Klaus was standing in front of her mirror, fixing his tie for today's event. Part of him was questioning why he was even going to a high school graduation in the first place. But then he glanced over at his dresser, at the invitation she sent him. Caroline had sent him an invitation. At what point in the last few weeks, he didn't know. But it was an invitation, nonetheless. He had not truly spoken to Caroline since that morning in her bedroom. Of course he'd heard the sound of her voicemail greeting about a hundred times before he decided to just give up trying to talk to her. She needed space, and he'd respect that. But surely if she'd sent him an invitation, she'd put aside her differences and want him to come today. He found himself smirking at the memories of being in that bed with her that morning.

When Klaus truly awoke, he found his arms wrapped around the girl he loved. To say he was elated would be an understatement. Although her back was towards him, she was still the spitting image of a sleeping beauty. He felt the warmth that radiated from her, he felt the comfort and safety in this bed with her. Safe in the sense that he didn't have to pretend to be anything other than himself. He didn't have to put up his facade of being the big bad alpha. This was an unfamiliar feeling, but exhilarating at the same time. These past few weeks with her had been unpredictable. She had a way with him that he still couldn't understand. He'd shown her vulnerability, kindness, friendship, honesty. All things he'd fought so hard against for centuries. These qualities seemed to come so naturally when he was around her.

When he was finally happy with the structure of his tie, he grabbed the invitation from his desk and headed for the door. After spending almost everyday with her before this week apart, he found himself missing her company. Missing the little things about her presence. The twinkle in her baby blue eyes when she was determined to get her way, her bouncy blond hair, her masked intelligence always popping out when he least expected it. But most of all, it was her ability to comfort any of his preoccupations. Simply by looking at her, or bringing out a laugh would immediately bring him happiness. And now, he longed to see her, to be around her. He had an unfamiliar ache in his chest, but somehow he knew, it was all because of a girl named Caroline.

Today would also be the day that his baby sister would graduate high school for the first time, as well. He was actually very happy with the state of their relationship now. They weren't arguing as much, weren't threatening to dagger one another. Of course she couldn't dagger Klaus, but still a nuisance. He found a seat close enough to the graduating class, by all the enthusiastic and very human parents. Perhaps a year ago, he wouldn't have minded compelling them all to shut up or even killed a few. But today, he just shook his head and laughed to himself at the situation he put himself in. He was a thousand year old, original hybrid, and he was sitting on a chair in a high school stadium waiting to watch his sister and his friends graduate from high school. Oh the irony.

Bonnie Bennet was the first to receive her diploma, and Klaus found himself clapping for her. Today was just full of surprises. Next out of their group, was Matt Donovan, the last remaining human-good for him. Then finally, Caroline Forbes made her way to the stage, shook the mayor's hand, and stood proudly with a diploma in hand. Klaus stood for her, smiling as he clapped to congratulate the light of his dark and twisted life. He was genuinely happy that she was starting a new part of her life, one that he hoped to be a part of. Later when his sister stood on stage, he smiled and clapped for her, as well. Maybe they could finally burry the hatchet, be a family like Elijah had once hoped. He sat patiently as the rest of the names were announced, among them Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore. Now there was a laugh, his old mate graduating high school for probably the twentieth time. Why he puts himself through this hell, Klaus could not fathom. But then again, he could. For the love a woman. He knew a thing or two about that.

When the ceremony was over, he made his way to Team Good Guys, as he now liked to refer to the group. Elena was celebrating with the Salvatore brothers, Bonnie with her father, Caroline with her mother, and Rebekah with Matt.

He decided to say his congratulations to his sister first, and greeted her with a simple smile, "Rebekah, you did it little sister."

"Nik, I'm surprised to see you here," she hugged him lightly, then turned in the direction of Caroline. "Then again, maybe I'm not." She winked and nudged at him to go get Caroline, claiming that she'd see him at home later.

Caroline was giggling with her mother about something. He was happy that her mother was okay after the attack. He'd made sure to stop by Dr. Fell's office to make sure that Sheriff Forbes was all right that morning Caroline kicked him out of her house. As he approached her, he felt the ache in his chest slowly fade.

"Caroline," he greeted her, arms clasped behind his back. She turned away from her mother, and looked at him for a long time before she gave him a small, gently smile.

* * *

_~Earlier That Afternoon~_

Caroline was sitting restlessly in her seat, eagerly waiting for her name to be called. It seemed like all odds were against her and everyone else for the matter. They had all danced with death on multiple occasions, but today, they were really here. Caroline just wanted to guarantee that before she left, she'd hold the diploma in her hand. She clapped loudly for Bonnie and Matt before heading up to that stage for own proud and glorified moment.

"Caroline Forbes," Bonnie's dad called out. The time was now, and Caroline avidly made her way up the stairs and onto the stage to receive her diploma. She shook her hand with Bonnie's dad's and paused to take her picture. Before walking off the stage, she stuck out her tongue at her friends, teasing that they finally did it, they finally graduated. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but still she knew that she could not stay. Graduating did allow her the comfort of knowing that this journey she was about to venture on would be worth it, and that maybe she'd return home soon. Elena's, Rebekah's, and finally Stefan's names were all called and then it hit Caroline. This was the end of high school for them. No more planning decade dances, or doing homework for the matter. For that, she was happily celebrating her successes with the people she loved the most in the world.

When the ceremony was over, her mom came with a bouquet of flowers and a big smile on her face, "Congratulations Caroline! I am so proud of you, sweetie!"

Caroline took the flowers and gave her mother a big hug, "Thanks Mom, seriously. I am so happy that you're here."

Her mother pulled away still holding onto her daughter's arms, "We've surely come a long, long way these past four years. Even before you changed, I mean. I'm really happy at the place we're at now Caroline, and I hope you are too."

Caroline laughed, "Yeah it's been tough, Mom. But I wouldn't change anything between us. It got us here, right? And that's all that matters."

"I love you, really. I hope that this adventure you're going on gives you all the answers you're looking for."

"I love you too, Mom. And I hope so."

The only person she'd told was her mother. She wasn't about to leave her without knowing that she'd be okay, especially after the whole Silas attack. Her mother took the flowers back, "I'll take these home, you go celebrate with your friends. Say goodbye before you leave, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Oh come here!" she gave her mom another hug. A proper, heartfelt hug. After pulling away, her mother waved her goodbye. And then, she heard him.

"Caroline," Klaus said simply. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he stood nervously at a good distance.

Caroline let out a sigh, knowing that she'd have to talk to him, "Klaus."

"I think congratulations are in order," he grinned as he walked closer to her.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks," she said, motioning for them to take a walk. "I didn't think you'd show up, considering…this week."

"You graduated today, you're taking a new step in your immortal life. I wanted to be a part of it with you," he simply answered.

"Look, I'm sorry that I pushed you out that morning," she started, " I was just…"

"Scared? I know. I understand," Klaus guessed. They were walking side by side now, away from the graduation crowd, towards the parking lot.

"I just need time, to process my life. And everything that's going on right now, everything that's happened since."

They about to walk right past Caroline's car, but Klaus stopped dead in his tracks. He could see through her hatchback that there were bags packed in the trunk. He'd had his fare share of getaways, and he knew how to spot one.

"You're leaving," he simply stated, still staring at her trunk.

"You weren't supposed to see that," Caroline cursed at herself silently. How could she be so stupid, of course he'd notice.

"That still doesn't mean that it isn't true," a sadness detected in his voice.

"Yeah," was all she could manage to get out. Klaus had a look on his face, one that could be compared to a lost puppy. She shook away the image and gathered herself, "I left you guys a note. I wasn't gonna tell anyone, well except my mom."

Klaus threw his hands up in the air, "A NOTE. That's all you were going to give me!"

Caroline was surprised by his reaction, she definitely didn't expect him to be angry with her, "Look it's not like this is the easiest decision I've had to make, okay?"

She paused to gather herself before breaking down in front of him, "That morning. The morning I freaked out. I just couldn't stop remembering all these horrible things that have happened these past two years. My mom getting attacked, my dad dying, me turning into a vampire. Everything that's happened to Elena, and Bonnie. It's like my life and all of my friends' lives just turned out like crap. And I woke up that morning, with you of all people, next to me. And-"

"And you remembered all of the horrible, repulsive things I've contributed to that list," Klaus dropped his head, his heart following. She would never forgive him, she would never be able to give him a clean slate. Did he want one? With her, yes.

She turned to face him, knowing that she could no longer run away from the truth, "Actually, no. That's what scared me the most, Klaus. I wasn't thinking about all of the horrible things you've done. I was thinking about how I couldn't remember the last time that I felt so safe. So comfortable in my own skin, in your arms. The way you held me, it was like nothing could touch me. No one has ever made me feel that way, not even Tyler as much as I wanted him to be able to."

Klaus stared at her, dumbfounded. Those words beat anything he'd ever imagined her saying to him out of kindness. No words could come to mind to respond to Caroline's confession.

Caroline started again, "So that's why I kicked you out. Because then I did remember all the bad things. And then I was conflicted, because I didn't know what to believe. For the longest time, it was easy to reject you or push you away. Simply because you were bad. But lately, you've… You're different. A good different. And if that means that you wanna start over or find some sort of redemption than who am I to hold you to your past. But at the same time, you've been a certain way for a thousand years, and people don't change that quickly."

Klaus had to say something, but still he couldn't surface any words.

"I'm leaving because I need time. Time to figure out what I want. I'm not human anymore, so I have to figure out what I want from this life I have now. Who I want in it, and who I want to spend it with. I'm so tired of having to be on the verge of death all the time. I've been beaten, tortured, staked, burned. The list goes on. I hate waking up everyday hoping it won't be my last. And plus, you're the one who told me to go see the world, right?"

Now Klaus could think of something, "But not like this Caroline. I want you to see the world, and have a life beyond this town. I really do. But running away from your fears, that won't solve anything. Trust me, I've been doing it for centuries."

"But I can't stay here, I can't keep living this way," Caroline stopped walking. Somehow they'd made their way out of the parking lot and into the woods. She took her graduation cap off and brushed back her hair from her face, "There's no reason to anymore. Bonnie and Elena aren't crazy anymore, Stefan isn't a ripper, Damon…well he's Damon. Matt is good, everyone's good."

Klaus didn't want to say goodbye to Caroline. He knew she wouldn't allow him to join her on her trip, so the only choice he had was to convince her to say. The irony continued. Klaus was asking Caroline to stay, in _Mystic Falls _of all places, "Stay."

Caroline turned to look at him. Klaus of all people was asking her not to go.

Klaus was beginning to think it was now or never, "You have somehow managed to make me go against the one thing I've always stood by. You have made me feel things I have tried so hard to push away. You made me believe in family, and friendship, and in love. Caroline Forbes you have changed my world, just this much in one year. And I can't wait to see what you can do in a lifetime. I know you need time, that I can offer you. But I wan't you to know something. It's you. It's you that has inspired me to be a better man, and it is for you that I am trying to change."

Caroline felt her jaw drop. Klaus Mikaelson, the big bad alpha hybrid just said all of those unbelievably sweet things. Klaus Mikaelson, closeted softy.

Klaus had practically confessed his love for this girl and she still hadn't said anything back. He was beginning to worry that he'd scared her off again. But then, she began to smile.

"You're making it really hard for me to say no right now," she said taking a step toward him.

Klaus smirked confidently, taking a step toward her, "That's kind of the point."

Caroline shook her head and laughed. They began walking again. Where, they didn't really know. She took his hand in hers, allowing their fingers lace into each other's. At that moment, it took everything in him not to push her against one of the trees and attack her mouth. God, he loved her. She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked, hand in hand.

Suddenly, Klaus thought of a brilliant idea, "Hey, I have an idea."

Caroline looked up at him through her eyelashes, "Oh yeah, what?"

Klaus felt a smirk surface, "How about I train you?"

* * *

**How'd ya like it? I'm super excited to start doing original stories from this point on. And I get to do the cult favorite Klaroline fanfic idea, the training scene :D Gosh I'm gonna start writing that chapter right now! As always, I am so humbled by the follows/favorites/reviews. Thank you :)**


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